**Fatshimetrie: Arrest of Sergei Shoigu and Valery Guerassimov by the ICC**
In an unprecedented decision, a pre-trial chamber of the International Criminal Court on Tuesday issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the current head of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces, Valery Gerasimov.
The judges found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that these officials are involved in missile strikes carried out by the Russian army against Ukrainian electricity infrastructure from at least October 10, 2022 until March 9, 2023.
According to the prosecution, Shoigu and Gerasimov are allegedly responsible for war crimes consisting of deliberate attacks on civilian objects and causing excessive damage to civilians or civilian objects, as well as the crime against humanity of inhumane acts, in violation of the Rome Statute.
Like the United States, Ukraine and Israel, Russia is not a member of the ICC and refuses to hand over suspects.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said the court “failed to meet expectations and failed to become a truly independent international justice body,” according to state news agency Tass.
Last year, the court issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin. This recent decision to target senior Russian military officials raises questions about the individual responsibility of state actors in international armed conflicts.
These events illustrate the role of international justice in accountability for serious crimes, and highlight tensions between sovereign states and international institutions responsible for upholding international humanitarian law.
This case also raises reflections on Russia’s condition vis-à-vis the international justice system, and underlines the importance of international cooperation to guarantee the effective application of international humanitarian law.
Ultimately, it remains an open question whether the ICC can hold state actors accountable impartially and effectively, while respecting the principles of justice and fairness. The prosecution of these senior Russian military officials marks a turning point in the fight against impunity for war crimes and crimes against humanity on a global scale.