Arrest warrant for Putin: Moscow opened a criminal case against justices of the peace of the ICC

Vladimir Putin did not like the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC). On Monday, Russia announced the opening of a criminal case against a prosecutor and three ICC judges after that court issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for illegally “deporting” children to Ukraine.

These magistrates, including ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, “issued unlawful orders (aimed at) arresting the President of the Russian Federation and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights,” the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement.

“A criminal case has been initiated,” it is specified. Thus, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan was targeted on the grounds of “bringing a criminal case against a person known to be innocent, combined with an unlawful charge of a serious or especially serious crime”, as well as “preparing an attack on a representative of a foreign state”.

“War Crime”

The International Criminal Court, based in The Hague, Netherlands, charges Vladimir Putin with war crimes for “deporting” thousands of Ukrainian children in the context of the conflict between Moscow and Kiev.

While Vladimir Zelensky called the decision “historic” and Joe Biden “justified,” Moscow derided it as “invalid” because Russia is not a member of the ICC and therefore does not recognize that court’s jurisdiction, the Kremlin said. press secretary Dmitry Peskov.

According to the Investigative Committee of Russia, “criminal prosecution is obviously illegal, since there are no grounds for criminal prosecution.” He pointed out that Vladimir Putin, as head of state, “enjoys absolute immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign states.”