Russia: Moscow has reportedly issued an arrest warrant for the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor. The prosecutor had previously prepared a warrant for the arrest of Russia’s President Mr. Vladimir Putin on war crimes charges, a move that caught global attention back in March 2023.

Mr. Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the war crimes court based in The Hague, has been included in the wanted list by Russia’s Interior Ministry, according to reports from the state-owned TASS news agency. News reports indicate that a photograph of the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, a citizen of the United Kingdom, was visible in the database of Russia’s Interior Ministry on 19th May 2023.

In March 2023, Russia’s Investigative Committee, responsible for major crime investigations, announced that Mr. Khan was under investigation for the alleged criminal prosecution of a person known to be innocent. This statement referred to the war crime charges levelled against the Russian President by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The investigation by the committee adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal and diplomatic tensions surrounding the case, further intensifying the scrutiny of the actions and motives of all parties involved.

Russian investigators disclosed that they were also investigating the ICC prosecutor for allegedly plotting an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection. At the time, the wanted notice provided details about Mr. Khan, stating that he was born on March 30, 1970, in Edinburgh, Scotland. However, the notice did not specify the nature of his offence.

The criminal probe against Mr. Khan was initiated by Russia in response to the ICC’s announcement of an arrest warrant for Mr. Putin. The warrant accused Putin of committing war crimes through the unlawful deportation of numerous Ukrainian children to Russia.

Additionally, the international court issued an arrest warrant for Ms. Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights, in relation to the same case. The developments in the investigation and arrest warrants further escalate the tensions between Russia and the ICC.

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