KREMLIN: Russia said on Monday that it had launched a criminal investigation into International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.
The investigative committee said that it had started a criminal case against the prosecutor Karim Khan and several judges of the ICC based on their unlawful decision to try Putin’s arrest.
It said in a statement that the prosecutor is being investigated on the basis of criminal prosecution of a person who is known to be innocent and in preparation for an attack on a foreign state’s representative enjoying international protection.
The court on Friday announced an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin on the war crime charges of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.
Warrant against Maria Lvova-Belova
The court said it had also issued an arrest warrant against Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, on similar charges.
Moscow dismissed the orders as void and unlawful.
Over 16,000 Ukrainian kids have been deported to Russia since the 24 February 2022 invasion, according to Kyiv, with many allegedly placed in foster homes and institutions.
