ICC concerned by Russia’s ‘threats’ over Putin warrant
The comments from the International Court of Justice come after ex-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to hit the war crimes tribunal with hypersonic missiles.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has expressed concern over “threats” from Russia after issuing an arrest warrant for war crimes against President Vladimir Putin.
The ICCs rack The source of concern came Wednesday after former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to hit the war crimes court in The Hague with hypersonic missiles. It also followed Russia’s top investigative body opening a criminal case against ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and the judges who issued the warrant against Putin.
The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties to the ICC said it “regrets these attempts to hinder international efforts to ensure accountability for acts prohibited by general international law”.
The meeting also reaffirms “its unwavering support for the International Criminal Court,” the presidency said.
“The International Criminal Court embodies our collective commitment to fight impunity for the most serious international crimes. As an institution of last resort, the Court complements national jurisdictions. We call on all states to respect the independence of judiciary and prosecution,” it added.
Medvedev said on Monday: “It is quite possible to imagine a hypersonic missile being fired from a Russian ship at the courthouse of The Hague from the North Sea.”
He added: “Everyone is walking under God and missiles… Look closely at the sky…”
The ICC’s arrest warrant against Putin, issued on Friday, accuses the Russian leader of unlawfully deporting thousands of Ukrainian children, a war crime.
The legal move obliges the court’s 123 member states to arrest Putin and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he sets foot on their territory.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a member of the ICC, although Kiev has granted the court the power to prosecute crimes committed on its territory. The tribunal also has no police force of its own and relies on member states to make arrests.
The ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights, on similar charges.
Moscow rejected the orders as “null and void” and Russia’s top investigative commission said there were no grounds for criminal liability on Putin’s part. It also said heads of state enjoyed absolute immunity under a 1973 United Nations treaty.
The commission said the actions of the ICC prosecutor in issuing the arrest warrants showed signs of crimes under Russian law, including knowingly accusing an innocent person of a crime.
Ukraine, which says more than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the February 24, 2022 invasion, calls the ICC order a “historic decision” that will lead to “historic accountability”.
Its Western allies, including the United States and the European Union, have also welcomed the court’s move.
While the US is not a party to the ICC, President Joe Biden said Friday that Putin has clearly committed war crimes, adding that the ICC order was justified.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has since urged all members of the ICC to comply with the order.
“I think everyone who is a party to the court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations,” Blinken said Wednesday when US Senator Lindsey Graham asked him at a hearing before the Senate Appropriations Committee if he would encourage European allies to kill Putin. to be transferred”. .