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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued fresh arrest warrants for former Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. The two Russian officials have accused of targeting civilians and civilian objects during the Ukraine war.
While Valery Gerasimov is still in office as the Chief of the General Staff, Shoigu had been replaced as the defence minister in Putin's cabinet earlier this year. However, Shoigu retained his position in the Putin cabinet after he was appointed as the secretary of Russia’s Security Council.
Both individuals are each "allegedly responsible for the war crime of directing attacks at civilian object," reads an official statement issued by the top criminal court.
As per the ICC, Pre-Trial Chamber II considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the two Russian officials are responsible for the missile strikes by Russian armed forces against the Ukrainian electric infrastructure from October 10, 2022, till March 9, 2023. The chamber also observed that these alleged strikes from the Russian armed forces were directed towards civilian objects.
The court noted that while these targets may have had military objectives at the time, "the expected incidental civilian harm and damage would have been clearly excessive to the anticipated military advantage".
The Russian officials have been charged under the following articles of the Rome Statue -
Article 8(2)(b)(ii) - directing attacks at civilian objects.
Article 8(2)(b)(iv) - causing excessive incidental harm to civilians or civilian objects.
Article 7(1)(k) - crime against humanity of inhumane acts.
Article 25(3)(a) - having committed the war crimes jointly and/or through others.
Article 25(3)(b) - ordering the commission of the crimes.
Article 28 - failure to exercise proper control over the forces.
The arrest warrants against the Russian officials come after an increase in tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
In 2023, the criminal court had already issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Russia. The two have been accused of war crimes in Ukraine, especially the unlawful abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.
With the arrest warrants against Shoigu and Gerasimov, a total of four arrest warrants have been issued against Russian government officials.
