Russia opens criminal case against ICC chief prosecutor, judges over arrest warrant for Putin

Russia has opened a criminal case against chief prosecutor and judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to an arrest warrant they issued for President Vladimir Putin on war crime charges.

The Hague-based Court announced on Friday that it had issued arrest warrants for Putin and another key Russian official for alleged crimes committed during Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Monday it had opened a criminal case against ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan and judges for issuing the arrest warrant.

It said the ICC prosecutor’s actions showed signs of being crimes under Russian law, knowingly accusing an innocent person of a crime, and “preparing an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection, in order to complicate international relations.”

The Kremlin has formerly called the move outrageous and legally void, as Russia is not a signatory to the treaty that created the ICC. Russia withdrew from the ICC treaty under a directive signed by Putin in 2016.

In the latest statement on the matter, the Kremlin said on Monday that the ICC decision was a sign of the “clear hostility” that exists against Russia and Putin personally.

Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that Russia was reacting “calmly” and was continuing its work.

“We are witnessing such a number of clearly hostile displays against our country and against our president,” Peskov said.

“We note them, but if we took every one to heart, nothing good would come of it. Therefore we look at this calmly, note everything attentively and continue to work,” he added.