The International Criminal Court (ICC) said it is “profoundly concerned” about Russia’s move to issue a warrant for the arrest of an ICC prosecutor and judges who earlier had issued a war-crimes arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of illegally deporting children from Ukraine.
The Hague-based court “is aware and profoundly concerned about unwarranted and unjustified coercive measures reportedly taken against ICC officials, notably the prosecutor of the Court and the judges…by the authorities of the Russian Federation,” it said in a statement on May 20.
“The ICC finds these measures unacceptable. The Court will remain undeterred in the conduct of its lawful mandate to ensure accountability for the gravest crimes of concern to the international community as a whole,” it added.
The ICC, which comprises 123 member states, called on all stakeholders to “enhance their efforts to protect the Court, its officials and its personnel, and ensure it is capable to continue to deliver on its independent mandate.”
SEE ALSO: Biden Welcomes ICC Arrest Warrant for Putin, Says Russian Leader 'Clearly Committed War Crimes'Moscow on May 19 placed ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan and several judges on a wanted list, according to Russian state news agency TASS. The Meduza news platform said Interior Ministry records show that the warrant issued for the ICC prosecutor included charges of “knowingly accusing an innocent person."
On March 17, the ICC said it had issued an arrest warrant for Putin, accusing the Russian president of being responsible for the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine, which constitutes a war crime.
The ICC said a warrant had also been issued for Maria Lvova-Belova, a Russian children's rights official who allegedly directed the removal of Ukrainian children to Russia.
The two are suspected of "having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others," the statement said, adding that Putin had failed "to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility."
With the warrant, Putin became the third serving head of state to be targeted in an arrest warrant from the ICC, the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, along with Sudan's Omar al-Bashir and Libya's Muammar Qaddafi.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov at the time said Russia found the questions raised by the ICC "outrageous and unacceptable" and noted that Russia, like many other countries, does not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a member of the ICC. Kyiv has, however, granted The Hague-based court jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed on its territory since Moscow launched its invasion last year.
The United States and China also are not members of the ICC.
“He’s clearly committed war crimes,” U.S. President Joe Biden told reporters on March 17, referring to Putin.