Russia puts on the wanted list the judges of the International Court who issued an arrest warrant for Putin

The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) has put International Criminal Court (ICC) judge Sergio Godinez on the wanted list. A judge issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova in connection with the situation in Ukraine. Why else are members of the international court being persecuted? LentaRu.

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The ICC statement on March 17 said the decision was related to the “illegal removal of children.”

The Ministry of Internal Affairs does not specify under which article of the Criminal Code of Russia the judge is wanted.

On May 11, the Investigative Committee of Russia (ICR) promised to put on the wanted list ICC judges Sergio Godinez, Tomoko Akane, and Rosario Salvatore Aitala, who decided to sanction the arrest of the Russian president.

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The department noted that the criminal prosecution of Vladimir Putin is allegedly deliberately illegal, since heads of state enjoy absolute immunity from the jurisdiction of foreign states - this provision is enshrined in the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Crimes against Internationally Protected Persons. But it is worth noting that the ICC is not the jurisdiction of a foreign state.

The Investigative Committee believes that the actions of the prosecutor and judges of the ICC allegedly contain signs of a crime: bringing a knowingly innocent person to criminal responsibility, preparing to attack a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection, with the aim of complicating international relations.

Four more ICC members were put on the wanted list in Russia

Since May 19, 2023, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs has put four more ICC members on the wanted list. They were prosecutor Karim Khan, judges Rosario Aitala and Tomoko Akane and head of the court Piotr Hofmanski. All of them participated in the preparation and issuance of an arrest warrant for Putin.

The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC assessed the actions of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs as an attempt at intimidation. They emphasized that they were deeply concerned about what was happening and expressed regret over “unacceptable attempts to undermine the ICC’s powers to investigate, authorize and prevent the most serious international crimes.”

The ICC also called on countries party to the Rome Statute to intensify their efforts to protect the court, its officials and staff and ensure the organization's ability to continue to fulfill its independent mandate.

Russia does not recognize the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the International Criminal Court in The Hague, also called an international tribunal.

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Although Russia signed the treaty on September 13, 2000, the country's authorities did not ratify it. Russia remained an observer at the ICC until 2016, when Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order of intent not to recognize the court's jurisdiction and not to be a party to the Rome Statute.

The Russian authorities did not explain the reasons for their decision, while the press secretary of the Russian president, Dmitry Peskov, noted that such a decision was made supposedly for the sake of respecting the national interests of the country.

The ICC's decision to issue a warrant affected Putin's foreign visits

From the creation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court until the beginning of 2003, the document was signed by 139 countries. But by 2023, 123 states have recognized its legal force. Ratification of the Rome Statute obliges countries that accept the jurisdiction of the ICC to comply with court orders, including the arrest of leaders of other states.

Thus, in August 2023, the Russian President was unable to attend the BRICS summit in South Africa, where he was threatened with arrest. Instead of Vladimir Putin, the Russian delegation was headed by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

The South African authorities were forced to look for loopholes that would ensure the safe participation of Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit.

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There was even discussion about the adoption of a special law that would strengthen the country's sovereignty in relation to the international court. However, the law could still end up being blocked by the Constitutional Court.

Vladimir Putin’s first foreign visit since the ICC arrest warrant was issued took place only on October 18. He attended the Belt and Road Forum in China.

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