Russia initiates proceedings against ICC prosecutor, judges: Committee
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The Russian Investigative Committee says the heads of state enjoy absolute immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign states.
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The International Criminal Court building seen in The Hague, Netherlands, January 16, 2019 (Reuters)
The Russian Investigative Committee announced on Monday that it initiated proceedings against the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor and judges.
On Friday, the Pre-Trial Chamber II of the ICC, the jurisdiction of which is not recognized by Russia, issued an arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, citing "unlawful transfer of population (children) from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation."
On Telegram, the Committee confirmed that it "has 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."
The statement stressed that "the criminal case is knowingly unlawful, since there are no grounds for bringing them to criminal responsibility."
It noted that the heads of state "enjoy absolute immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign states," in accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons, including Diplomatic Agents.
Earlier, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant against Putin was a sign of the "clear hostility" against Russia and the Russian President personally.
But Peskov pointed out 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," the Russian diplomat said at a regular news briefing.
He continued, "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."
Peskov had previously considered the warrant against Putin "outrageous and unacceptable," noting that Russia does not recognize the jurisdiction of ICC, and accordingly, "any decisions of this kind are null and void" from the legal point of view.
It is noteworthy that Russia is not a party to the Rome Statute which underpins the court, meaning that the warrant has no legal force in the country.
But the ICC's move could restrict Putin's travel to any of the 123 countries that recognize the ICC's jurisdiction since it obliges them to arrest the Russian President and transfer him to The Hague for trial if he enters their territory.
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