Putin amends law to let Russia ignore foreign courts
President Vladimir Putin signed changes to the law that give Russia the right to ignore decisions in criminal cases made by foreign and international courts, amid Ukrainian and European attempts to punish Moscow for its actions in Ukraine.
The move, which came on Monday as U.S. President Donald Trump tries to broker a peace deal in Ukraine, appears to be a response to several attempts to prosecute Russian officials and military officers for alleged war crimes in Ukraine; Moscow denies that its forces are to blame.
Ukraine and the Council of Europe human rights body signed an agreement laying the groundwork for a special tribunal in June, and Europe this month established the International Claims Commission for Ukraine to ensure Kiev is compensated for hundreds of billions of dollars in damages from Russian attacks and alleged war crimes.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague also issued an arrest warrant for Putin and five other Russians, accusing them of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Describing this move by the ICC as ugly, the Kremlin said that the claim was unfounded and that Moscow only acted to remove children from the conflict zone for their own safety.
Under changes to Russian law promoted by Putin on Monday, Moscow will officially have the right under its domestic legislation to ignore decisions in criminal cases brought by foreign courts on behalf of foreign governments without Russia’s involvement.
Decisions made by international legal bodies whose authority is not based on an international agreement with Russia or a UN Security Council decision can also be ignored within the scope of the changes.
