Maria Lvova-Belova Claims Kidnapping Attempts Were Prepared to "Force Her to Testify Against Putin"

Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's Commissioner for Children's Rights, publicly stated that, according to her, attempts to kidnap her had been prepared. The official claims that she was allegedly targeted to be taken alive in order to be forced to testify against Russian President Vladimir Putin. She made these remarks against the backdrop of a previously issued arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court.

"I Am Needed Alive": Details of the Statement

According to Lvova-Belova, the matter, as she emphasizes, is not about an assassination attempt. "It's not an assassination. I am needed alive so that I testify against the president. They have no evidentiary base whatsoever," the ombudsman stated. She also reported that, following reports of planned sabotage operations against her in various regions, she had hired personal security. At the same time, no independent confirmation of the kidnapping attempt itself is provided in open sources at the time of publication — the information relies on the statements of the official herself.

The ICC Warrant and the Official's Reaction

Lvova-Belova said that she had not received any official documents related to investigative actions, and that she learned about the arrest warrant from the media. According to her, she initially did not know what the International Criminal Court was, and first saw the relevant news when it became known that a warrant had been issued against her and Putin. Later, on her way to Moscow, she claims to have begun finding out what powers the ICC has.

"Four Years in a Position of Justification"

The Russian official stated that she has been living in Russia "in a position of justification" for the past four years, and that her children had received threats and insults. She called the accusation of involvement in the removal of Ukrainian children to Russia "fakes" and "demonization."

Contradictory Data

There are inconsistencies between Lvova-Belova's statements and previously recorded facts that are important to take into account. On the one hand, the ombudsman now calls the accusations of removing Ukrainian children "fakes" and "demonization." On the other hand — as late as 2023, she herself acknowledged that in 2022 Russia had deported hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children. There is also a confirmed fact: on March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing the latter, in particular, of facilitating the abduction of Ukrainian children. At the same time, the official herself claims that she learned about the ICC's powers only after the fact, and that the kidnapping attempts against her have not received independent confirmation. Both versions — her denial, and the facts she herself previously acknowledged, as well as the ICC's data — are presented openly in the article.