Judge Piotr Hofmański, president of the International Criminal Court, said:

“It is forbidden by international law for occupying powers to transfer civilians from the territory they live in to other territories.

Children enjoy special protection under the Geneva Convention.

“The contents of the warrants are secret to protect victims. The ICC attaches great importance to the protection of victims, especially children.

“Nevertheless, the judges of the chamber have deemed that in this case they have decided to make the existence of the warrants public in the interests of justice and to prevent the commission of future crimes.

“This is an important moment in the process of justice before the ICC. The judges have reviewed the information and evidence submitted by the prosecutors, and determined that there are credible allegations against these persons for the alleged crimes.”