Armenian court rules to abide by ICC, can arrest Putin on Armenian territory

Armenia's Constitutional Court ruled on March 24 that the International Criminal Court's (ICC) obligations are in line with its national constitution, Russian independent media Novaya Gazeta reported.

The Armenian Constitutional Court's ruling means that there would be a legal obligation to arrest either Russian dictator Vladimir Putin or Maria Lvova-Belova should they step foot on Armenian territory.

On March 17, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova, the Russian official allegedly overseeing the forced deportations of over 16,000 Ukrainian children to Russia.

Armenia has economic, military, and political connections with Russia, making the ruling significant.

The news comes in stark contrast to Bloomberg's reporting on March 21, which stated that Hungary blocked the release of a joint statement by European Union member states on the ICC arrest warrant for Putin.