The Investigative Committee of Russia reported on March 20 that it had opened a case against members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for issuing an arrest warrant against Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
Specifically, the committee targeted ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, as well as judges Tomoko Akane, Rosario Salvatore Aitala, and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godinez.
According to the press release, the committee is accusing the ICC of "bringing a known innocent person to criminal responsibility" and preparing "an attack on a representative of a foreign state who enjoys international protection, with the aim of complicating international relations."
Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council and former president, also threatened on March 20 a missile strike against the ICC.
"Everyone walks under God and missiles. It's quite possible to envision a scenario where a Russian ship stationed in the North Sea could strategically strike the Hague courthouse with a hypersonic Onyx (cruise) missile," Medvedev wrote.
The ICC issued arrest warrants on March 17 for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian official overseeing the forced deportations of more than 16,000 Ukrainian children to Russia.
The ICC asserts that there are "reasonable grounds to believe" Putin holds direct accountability for supervising the deportations and that he neglected to exert authority over Russian soldiers and civilians executing the crime across occupied Ukrainian regions from the onset of Russia's all-out war against Ukraine.
(Updated: )
