Despite warrant, Putin can travel to India for SCO meet

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, March 18

The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin notwithstanding, he will be able to travel to India for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in May and the G20 summit in September.

The US, which could have mounted pressure on India to exclude Putin, will not be able to do so as it has withdrawn from the ICC. India, the host chair for both SCO and G20, is not a member of the ICC nor is Russia.

In fact, Ukraine too is not an ICC member but has conveniently opted to accept its jurisdiction when it has suited it.

Another issue is the grey area of the ICC’s jurisdiction. The offences should be committed either in a country that ratified the agreement or by a national of a ratifying country. Neither Ukraine nor Russia fall in this category, though the latter might take advantage of a loophole in the ICC’s convention as Article 12(3) allows a nation that has not signed the convention to temporarily accept the Geneva-based body’s recommendation.