The International Criminal Court (ICC) was adamant this Saturday after Russia placed its prosecutor Karim Khan on the wanted list, who issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin.
“The ICC finds these measures unacceptable. It will stand firm in fulfilling its legal mandate by ensuring that the most serious crimes are held accountable,” the Hague-based court said in a statement.
The text underlines that the court is aware of and is “deeply concerned” by what it described as “unjustified coercive measures” announced by Russia against judicial officials, in particular Khan and three judges of the judicial instance.
The court also added that it strongly supports its staff and officials and urges its member states to “intensify efforts to protect the court, its officials, its staff, and ensure that it can continue to fulfill its independent mandate.”
The independent media portal Mediazona indicated on Friday that the Russian Interior Ministry issued a search and arrest warrant for the ICC prosecutor, who on March 17 issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for the alleged deportation. of Ukrainian children to Russia. and that it would constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC.
The court in The Hague also issued an arrest warrant for Russian politician Maria Lvova-Belova, Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Russia, on the same charge.
The Kremlin has consistently denied that it is forcibly deporting Ukrainian children, following accusations issued by kyiv and its allies.
Khan, who has visited Ukraine four times since the Russian military invasion in February 2022, and his critics have pointed out that the mandate issued against Putin and Lvova-Belova was inspired by a US State Department report that does not contain Field work, concrete evidence. of war crimes or evidence that Russia is promoting a massive campaign to deport young Ukrainians.
At the same time, Karim Khan is said to have frozen an ICC case against Israel, frustrating human rights lawyers representing victims of violence in the blockaded Gaza Strip. Khan is also reported to have formally dropped the court case against the US military and its actions in Afghanistan.
In the midst of the controversy, the signatory countries of the Treaty of Rome denounced this Saturday the “unacceptable” Russian threats directed at prosecutors and associates.
The presidency of the Assembly of States parties to the ICC “regrets these acts of intimidation and this unacceptable attempt to undermine the mandate of the ICC to investigate, punish and prevent the commission of the most serious international crimes,” a statement read.
The countries also declared their “strong support” for the ICC, its elected officials and staff, referring to this body sponsored by the UN, but which has not yet been ratified or recognized by several countries, including the United States, Russia, China or India.
“The safeguarding and integrity of the court, including its judicial and prosecutorial independence, is essential for the fulfillment of its mandate. We reiterate our full confidence in the ICC as an independent and impartial court,” the member countries added.
Russia’s war against Ukraine plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
The number of civilian and military casualties in the conflict is unknown, but several sources, including the United Nations, have admitted that it will be very high.
Source: TSF
