International Criminal Court (AB)
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday rejected the “threats” and actions announced once morest its prosecutors and judges involved in issuing an arrest warrant once morest Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes committed during the Russian operation in Ukraine.
The Presidency of the Assembly of Member States of the Court, which constitutes its legislative body, said in a statement that it “regrets attempts to impede international efforts aimed at ensuring accountability for acts prohibited by public international law.”
She indicated that there were “threats once morest the International Criminal Court, while it also announced measures once morest its prosecutors and judges.”
She added that the association “reaffirms its unwavering support for the International Criminal Court
Medvedev vows
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had vowed to target The Hague with a hypersonic missile as retaliation for the arrest warrant issued once morest Putin, according to Dutch media.
Moscow said on Monday it had opened a criminal investigation once morest the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, and several judges over the “illegal” decision aimed at arresting Putin over the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Shutterstock)
Arrest warrant
On Friday, the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Bilova, on charges of “illegal deportation” of Ukrainian children, a war crime.
“The number of these children runs into the thousands,” Khan told AFP.
However, Moscow considered those accusations “invalid”.
More than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the Russian invasion that began on February 24, 2022, according to Kiev, with many placed in institutions and with foster families.