The International Criminal Court has expressed concerns over threats coming from Russia following the issuing of an arrest warrant for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The threats included getting hit by hypersonic missiles as well as a retaliatory criminal case being filed by Moscow against the court.
The ICC issued a statement on Wednesday expressing concern over the threats it has received coming from Russia following its issuance of an arrest warrant for Putin. The warrant for Putin was over charges of forced deportations of Ukrainians and Ukrainian children to Russia. The ICC Assembly of States Parties presidency said it “regrets these attempts to hinder international efforts to ensure accountability for acts that are prohibited under general international law.”
The presidency also reiterated that the assembly “reaffirms its unwavering support for the International Criminal Court.”
“The International Criminal Court embodies our collective commitment to fight impunity for the gravest international crimes. As an institution of last resort, the Court is complementary to national jurisdictions. We call on all States to respect its judicial and prosecutorial independence,” said the statement.
The statement by the ICC leadership follows threats from former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to hit the court, which is based in The Hague, with hypersonic missiles over the arrest warrant for Putin. Russia’s top investigative service also opened a criminal case against ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and the judges who issued the arrest warrant for Putin.
Moscow dismissed the arrest warrant as “null and void,” and the Russian investigative body said there were no grounds for criminal liability on Putin’s part. The investigative service also claimed that world leaders enjoyed absolute immunity under a 1973 United Nations convention.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a member of the ICC, but Kyiv has welcomed the move and granted jurisdiction to the ICC. US President Joe Biden also said on Friday last week that the warrant against Putin was justified even as the United States is also not a member of the ICC.
Meanwhile, at least 1,000 Russian troops that were training in southwestern Belarus have been redeployed on the ground in Ukraine, according to the British defense ministry on Friday. The ministry said that there was no new rotation of Russian troops on the ground. Moscow may have left the “tented camp in place,” which indicated that they were continuing the training program.