On to other news. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the former Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, and the top Russian General, Valyri Garysimov, for alleged crimes committed during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Valyri Garysimov is currently the Commander of all Russian forces in Ukraine and considered one of the most powerful men in Russia. Well, Shoigu was removed from his role as defense minister last month and appointed the Secretary of Russia's Security Council. That has already described the ICC's decision as being part of a hybrid war against Moscow. Now, the International Criminal Court's move expands the list of wanted Kremlin officials to four. Last year, it issued arrest warrants for President Putin and also his children's Ombudsman, Maria Lvova Bailova, Ukraine, said the decision had helped to secure the return of unlawfully deported children. Well, joining me now is human rights lawyer, Olexandra Matvitchuk in Kyiv. She chairs the Center for Civil Liberties, the non-government organization, which jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. Thank you very much for being on the program. First of all, is this a political statement or more than that?

No, it's not a political statement. It's a legal decision which have a very important practical result.

And what is the practical result?

The international crimes have no statute of lamentations. It means from the long-term perspective that we know from the history of humankind that a Soviet regime collapsed and the leaders and top political and military officials who see themselves untouchable appeared under the court. The last example which we can mention is Milošević. Serbia didn't want to transfer Milošević to The Hague, but Serbia did. And this decision is also important from the short-term perspective, because unfortunately, even in well-developed democracies, there were politicians who want to return to business as usual with Russia, and now it's become more and more complicated.

And what does this mean in practical terms for the two men in terms of any potential ability to arrest them? It clearly restricts their movements, doesn't it?

Justice have a power to change strategic reality in present. It's something which people forget because they think that justice is important for the past or just for the future. I document in war crimes for 10 years. I know that Russians have never been punished for crimes that they committed in Chechnya, Moldova, Georgia, Mali, Libya, Syria, other countries of the world. These decisions show that probably they will be a accountable. And this will send a doubt to even a part of Russians start to have this doubt that they will be responsible. It will return in cooling effect to the brutality of human rights violations. And this means because we speak about large scale war, we can save thousands, thousands, and thousands of lives.Oleksandra.

Matvitchuk, thank you very much for your time today.