Britain stopped the United Nations webcast of an informal Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday, where Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, whom the International Criminal Court wants to arrest on war crimes accusations, was scheduled to speak, According to diplomats.
Russia had informed council members that the discussion on Ukraine would center on “evacuating children from conflict zones,” and that commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova would be present.
The Hague-based International Criminal Court last month issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ms Lvova-Belova.
It accuses them of illegally deporting children from Ukraine and the unlawful transfer of people to Russia from Ukraine since Russia invaded on 24 February 2022.
According to diplomats, Russia refused to disclose who would brief, therefore Britain halted the webcast. Britain’s action was verified on Twitter by Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador.
“Russia will from now on block U.N. webcasts of all similar meetings citing ‘UK censorship clause’,” Polyanskiy wrote.
Later on Tuesday Russia confirmed that Lvova-Belova would speak at the briefing.
