ICC judges issue arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of being responsible for war crimes committed in Ukraine. In a statement, the court said on Friday that the Russian leader 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 ICC also issued a warrant for the arrest of Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia's commissioner for children's rights, on similar allegations. The ICC said that its pre-trial chamber found 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.” This is a breaking story — more to follow... Additional reporting by The Associated Press.