Russia Initiates Cases Against International Criminal Court Judges, Prosecutor

The Kremlin took offense at the warrant for the arrest of the Russian dictator.

The Russian Investigatory Committee opened a criminal case against the chief prosecutor and judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague over arrest warrants for Putin and children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova. According to the ICR, the persecution of Putin is obviously illegal, since “there are no grounds for criminal liability,” writes The Moscow Times.

“The Investigatory Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Ahmad Khan, Judges of the International Criminal Court Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez,” the Investigatory Committee of the Russian Federation said in a statement.

Russian investigators accused judges from the Hague of violating Part 2 of Article 301, Part 1 of Article 30, Part 2 of Article 360 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (knowingly unlawful detention, as well as preparing to attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection, in order to complicate international relations).

They also started a case against chief prosecutor Karim Khan under Part 2 of Article 299, Part 1 of Article 30, Part 2 of Article 360 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — “bringing a knowingly innocent person to criminal responsibility, combined with the unlawful accusation of a person of committing a grave or especially grave crime, as well as preparing to attack a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection, in order to complicate international relations.”

Earlier, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in the Hague Karim Khan said that the warrant issued in the Hague for the arrest of Putin is for life. The warrant will only be withdrawn when Putin appears in court and the judges dismiss the case, he added.