Russian President Vladimir Putin has a warrant out for his arrest.
Zeroing in: The arrest warrant for Putin was issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, 17 March, according to the Associated Press (AP).
The ICC took the action, alleging Putin's involvement in the abductions of children from Ukraine
The allegations: "[Putin] is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation," the court said in a statement.
The ICC's pre-trial chamber further found that there were "reasonable grounds to believe that each suspect bears responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population and that of unlawful transfer of population from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, in prejudice of Ukrainian children."
Why it matters: Putin is likely the highest-ranking Russian official whose arrest has been sought by the ICC.
The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, on similar allegations.
The big picture: The warrant comes one day after a United Nations-backed investigation found that crimes were allegedly committed against Ukrainians on Russian territory, including the deportation of Ukrainian children who were allegedly prevented from reuniting with their families.
The 18-page report is based on more than 500 interviews, satellite images and visits to detention sites and graves, Al Jazeera reported.
However, Russia has denied committing atrocities or attacking civilians in Ukraine.
Earlier, Swiss lawyer Carla Del Ponte, who oversaw the UN investigations in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, had urged for his arrest.
“Putin is a war criminal,” Del Ponte had told a Swiss newspaper
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