Russia's Investigative Committee charges ICC prosecutor, judge
Both the prosecutor and judge have been put on a wanted list
Russia's Investigative Committee announced on Sunday that the prosecutor and judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children's rights advocate Maria Lvova-Belova have been charged in absentia.
Earlier, the Russian Investigative Committee initiated criminal proceedings against International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan and judges Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala, and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez, Russian news agency TASS has reported.
"Investigations have gathered sufficient evidence to indict in absentia International Criminal Court prosecutor Khan Karim Assad Ahmad and International Criminal Court judge Rosario Salvatore Aitala," the committee stated.
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The ICC prosecutor is charged under part 2 of article 299, part 1 of article 30, and part 360 of the Russian Criminal Code (criminal prosecution of a person known to be innocent, as well as preparation for an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection in order to complicate international relations). The judge is charged with violating part 2 of article 301, part 1 of article 30, and part 2 of article 360 of the Russian Criminal Code (knowingly illegal detention and preparation for an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection with the intent to complicate international relations).
Both have been put on a wanted list.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova on 17 March.
According to the International Criminal Court's statement, they may be responsible "for the war crimes of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."
On 20 March, Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the International Criminal Court's prosecutor and judges, claiming that their actions were illegal because there were no grounds to prosecute the Russian president and the children's rights advocate.
In accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons of 14 December 1973, heads of state are immune from the jurisdiction of foreign states.
