For a few hours last week, the International Criminal Court looked poised to take a Libyan warlord into custody. Instead, member state Italy sent the head of a notorious network of detention centers back home.

Senate Democrats blocked consideration of legislation sanctioning the International Criminal Court for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli leaders after failing to reach an agreement with Republicans to narrow the legislation.

The International Criminal Court prosecutor said on Thursday he had applied for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls.

There might be mixed signals on the future of the war in Ukraine, but for now Putin has something else on his plate.

Supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Supreme Court chief Abdul Hakim Haqqani accused of crimes against humanity

Nevertheless, Putin’s New Year’s message remained upbeat. He looked ahead to the upcoming 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Germany in World War II, assuring the nation of its strength.

In contrast, the Russian Federation has been referred to as an “imitation democracy”. It has institutions that one would find in democratic systems of government (a parliament and a directly elected president). But, among other flaws, these institutions do not function within a genuinely competitive or fair electoral environment.

Prosecutor Karim Khan says there are reasonable grounds to believe two leaders responsible for ‘crime against humanity’.