court

Vladimir Putin Receives Arrest Warrant From The ICC

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The International Criminal Court (ICC) just put out an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin for war crimes committed against Ukraine in their ongoing invasion of the nation. Moreover, the ICC is specifically taking aim at alleged involvement in abducting children from Ukraine, in addition to other cruel behavior. Furthermore, the court stated that the 70-year-old “is allegedly responsible for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.”

In addition, they issued a warrant for the arrest of the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation, Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, on similar charges. However, since Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, said arrest will prove difficult to enforce. In fact, the response of Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to the warrant makes their position quite clear. “The decisions of the International Criminal Court have no meaning for our country, including from a legal point of view,” she expressed via a statement. Also, a Russian politician reportedly tweeted a joke about the ICC’s warrant, comparing it to toilet paper.

ICC Issues Arrest Warrant For Vladimir Putin

Meanwhile, officials and citizens in Ukraine are reportedly overjoyed at the news. Moreover, a top advisor to Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that the country is ecstatic about the fact that the “wheels of Justice are turning.” Still, such spirit from the Ukranian people faced catastrophic besieging for the past year, or decades depending on how you look at the conflict. Despite its history, it’s undeniable that the past year impacted the two nations’ relationship more than ever. However, another important element that people (especially not from either country) brought up are the other public officials that deserve sentencing.

Of course, the primary examples that social media brought up in that regard are U.S. presidents. For example, Clinton, Bush, Obama, and others faced similar accusations of war crimes, although calling them accusations is an understatement. As such, this news caused not just direct discussion on the conflict, but also indirect discussion on the ICC’s jurisdiction and role. Regardless of your take, check back in with HNHH for the latest big news and updates on this story and conflict.

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Troy Ave Testifies At Taxstone’s Murder Trial

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Troy Ave took the stand at Taxstone’s murder trial for the killing of his bodyguard, Ronald “Banga” McPhatter, on Monday. Troy reportedly told the jury he and McPhatter were in the VIP section of Irving Plaza when they ran into Taxstone, with whom they had a longstanding feud. He explained that tensions were high as they introduced themselves.

“Banga turns around to me and says, ‘I’m gonna rock him,’ which means, ‘I’m gonna hit him,’” Troy Ave testified. “And then I wink at him—I tell him, ‘Do your thing.’” From there, Troy explained that Tax pulled out a gun and shot McPhatter. Troy then wrestled for the gun with Tax, which resulted in him being shot in the legs.

Troy Ave Performing In 2015

NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 17: Troy Ave performs onstage as Coors Light Soundtrack reFRESH brings DJ Mustard, Fabolous and special guests To NYC at Stage 48 on November 17, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for Coors Light)

“When the shot goes off I see the light from the spark and I hear the shot,” he testified. “This is all happening fast. I get up and start fighting Taxstone, trying to take him, grab the gun, and another shot goes off. I put my leg up to kind of block the shot from hitting me in the face or chest. I got up. I’d rather die fighting. People die from leg shots. I’d rather die fighting than laying on the ground. I got up immediately.”

Before taking the stand, Troy shared a photo of Jay-Z testifying in a 2021 lawsuit on Instagram. He captioned the picture: “To all my real ones that been riding with & for Me, today is the day I finally get to clear my name. It’s been almost 7 years since I lost one of my closest friends #RIPBANGA, 7 years of a narrative about it being my fault, 7 years of my character being assassinated all the while Trying to defend myself without saying much! I took it all on the chin, never complained about the stress even tho I felt it. Never complained about the pain even tho it hurt! Never shed a tear even tho my heart was crying! At my weakest points I drew strength from GOD! drew strength from my Children & drew strength from Yall but today.”

Troy Ave’s Instagram Post

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XXXTENTACION’s Family In Court Awaiting Verdict

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XXXTENTACION’s family attended court today (March 13) to await the verdict in the trial concerning his murder. Moreover, closing arguments began recently and it seems like the case is almost coming to a close after some more deliberation. While it’s unclear who exactly is present at court itself, surely many loved ones, whether close to X or just his fans, are waiting with similarly heavy hearts. Furthermore, this trial is starting to wrap up almost five full years after the Florida rapper passed away following an armed robbery outside a motorcycle shop. In the years since his passing, the pain of his loss hasn’t hampered his enduring legacy.

However, an update on the verdict should come sooner rather than later, given that jury deliberation began on Wednesday (March 8). Not only that, but the jury have reportedly deliberated for over 12 hours at this point over the fatal case. In fact, the jury asked the judge to show jurors text message evidence from the suspects’ phones. Specifically, their request relates to codefendants Michael Boatwright and Dedrick Williams. Jurors asked that they review texts, photos, videos, and screenshots shared between the day before the murder and the day of the murder.

XXXTENTACION Verdict Soon To Come, Family Awaits It At Court

Tragically, some of the “Look At Me!” rapper’s family, such as uncle Leonard Kerr, are all too familiar with his death. Kerr was actually with X at the time of the robbery. “We get in the car to drive out,” he recounted on the witness stand. “At the exit, when we pull out, we stop. [XXXTENTACION] looked to the left. I looked to the right. By the time [XXXTENTACION] looked to the left, I see a car coming down the block and blocked the entrance. After the car pulled by the entrance, two persons jump out the side doors. One come on Jahseh side, one come on the side that I’m on.” Later, he went on to describe how the suspects robbed him, he fled, heard gunshots behind him, and called X’s mother after he returned to the scene and found him unresponsive.

Meanwhile, the most recent development before jury deliberation was a newly shared video of the codefendants celebrating after their crimes. Moreover, the suspects allegedly celebrated with the cash that they took from X before taking his life. While this case is nothing if not marred in tragedy and callous cruelty, at least justice might be served soon. Considering that, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on the XXXTENTACION murder trial.