Human Rights Watch demands Mongolia deny Putin entry or arrest him

Mongolia must prohibit the entry of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, who is scheduled to visit the country on September 3. If he does enter the country, he should be arrested.

Maria Elena Vignoli, Senior Adviser on International Justice at Human Rights Watch, stated this.

"Mongolia would violate its international obligations as a member of the ICC if it allowed Vladimir Putin to visit the country without arresting him. Hosting Putin, who is hiding from the ICC, would not only be an insult to the many victims of crimes committed by Russian forces but would also undermine the important principle that no one, despite their power, is above the law," Vignoli emphasized.

Mongolia officially approved the Rome Statute in 2003. As a signatory of the ICC's foundational agreement, Mongolia is obligated to cooperate with the court. This includes detaining and surrendering any individuals who come to its borders and are considered suspects.

Since it lacks a police force, the ICC must rely on the cooperation of states and the global community to make arrests.

If Putin visits Mongolia, it will be the first time an ICC member country will host him after a court has issued a warrant for him.

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In August 2023, Putin had planned to attend the annual BRICS summit in Johannesburg, which includes nations such as South Africa and Russia. However, his visit was eventually called off due to pressure from civil society and a court ruling in South Africa that upheld their commitment to honor the International Space Station agreement.

Human Rights Watch said all ICC member states should follow South Africa's example and fulfill their obligations under the court's founding treaty.

"When Putin planned to attend the BRICS summit in South Africa last year, South Africa faced the same choice as Mongolia but made it clear that it recognized its obligations to arrest him, and in the end, he stayed home. Mongolian authorities now have a chance to demonstrate on concrete examples of their commitment to justice for international crimes by denying Putin entry or arresting him if he enters the country," Vignoli said.

As Rubryka reported, in March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Putin on suspicion of illegal deportation of children and illegal transfer of Ukrainians to Russia.

On the eve of Putin's visit to Mongolia, scheduled for September 3, the International Criminal Court declared that the country is subject to the obligation to comply with the ICC's requirements.

During his visit, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine called on the Mongolian authorities to execute a mandatory international arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin.