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Russia’s Investigative Committee brings charges against ICC prosecutor, judge

Both have been put on a wanted list

© Aleksandr Scherbak/TASS

MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Sunday it has charged in absentia the prosecutor and judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) who issued a warrant for the arrest of Russian President Vladimir Putin and children’s rights ombudswoman Maria Lvova-Belova.

The Russian Investigative Committee earlier initiated a criminal case against prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Ahmad Khan, judges of the International Criminal Court Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala, and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez. "By now, investigations have collected enough evidence to charge in absentia prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Khan Karim Assad Ahmad and judge of the International Criminal Court Rosario Salvatore Aitala," the Committee said.

The ICC prosecutor is charged under part 2 of article 299, part 1 of article 30, and part of article 360 of the Russian Criminal Court (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 harged under part 2 of auricle 301, part 1 of article 30, and part 2 of article 360 of the Russian Criminal Court (knowingly illegal detention and preparation for an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection in order to complicate international relations).

Both have been put on a wanted list.

On March 17, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova. The ICC statement said they could be liable "for the war crime of unlawful deportation of population (children) and that of unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."

On March 20, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the ICC prosecutor and judges, saying that their actions are unlawful as there were no grounds to bring the Russian president and children’s rights ombudswoman to criminal liability.

Under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons of December 14, 1973, heads of state enjoy absolute immunity from foreign states’ jurisdiction.

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