THE HAGUE, May 20. /TASS/. The Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) expressed concern over Russian measures against Prosecutor Karim Khan and the ICC judges who issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, the ICC said in a press release on Saturday.

According to the press release, the Presidency of the Assembly of the States Parties "is deeply concerned over reported measures by the Russian Federation authorities against the Prosecutor and Judges of the International Criminal Court."

Against his backdrop, the Presidency of the Assembly regrets Russia’s actions and urges "all States to respect its judicial independence and stand united against impunity."

"The Presidency of the Assembly stands firmly by the International Criminal Court, its elected officials, and its personnel. Safeguarding the Court’s integrity, including its judicial and prosecutorial independence, is fundamental to the successful discharge of its mandate," the press release said.

On March 17, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on charges of the "unlawful deportation" of Ukrainian children. In response, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against the ICC prosecutor and judges, deeming their actions as knowingly unlawful since they had no grounds for holding the president and the children’s rights commissioner criminally liable. Investigation was started into prosecutor Karim Ahmad Khan and judges Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala, and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez.