ICC "Putin Arrest Warrant, a Somber Matter"… Russia Retaliates with ICC Criminal Lawsuit

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia [Image source=Yonhap News]

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan described the issuance of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of illegal child migration as a "somber matter."

According to the Associated Press, Prosecutor Khan made these remarks on the 20th (local time) at the World Justice Ministers Meeting held in London, UK. The meeting, co-hosted by the UK and the Netherlands, was attended by justice ministers from over 40 countries, including Minister Han Dong-hoon.

Khan, who oversees the investigation into Putin's war crimes, said, "The issuance of the arrest warrant was not a moment of victory," adding, "It was a sad and somber occasion where judges felt the need to issue an arrest warrant for the leader of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the first time in history." Prosecutor Khan played a leading role in the ICC's issuance of the arrest warrant against President Putin on war crime charges on the 17th.

He stated that if Russia's claim that the children from Ukraine were relocated to Russia is even partially true, then foreign passports should not be given to the children and they should be returned to their home country. Russia is accused of kidnapping children from occupied Ukrainian territories under the pretense of rescue and illegally relocating them to Russia.

Furthermore, Prosecutor Khan described the Ukraine war as a moment for the ICC system to reawaken. Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine, said investigations have begun into more than 72,000 war crime cases and urged support for establishing an ICC field office in Ukraine.

Attendees at the meeting agreed to provide the ICC with ?4 million (approximately 6.4 billion KRW) in support related to war crimes in Ukraine. The funds are planned to be used for training investigators and supporting forensic experts.

Meanwhile, Russia defended its actions by claiming that the relocation of children was intended to protect those abandoned in conflict zones amid international criticism. It was also reported that Russia has initiated criminal proceedings against ICC judges and prosecutors related to the issuance of the arrest warrant for President Putin.

The Russian Federal Investigative Committee stated in a press release that since Russia is not a member of the ICC, it is illegal for the ICC to prosecute Russian citizens and argued that there is no basis for the charges.

Furthermore, the Federal Investigative Committee announced, "Criminal proceedings have been initiated against ICC Prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan, ICC Judges Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala, and Sergio Ugalde Godinez."