Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Ukraine war: ICC 'undeterred' by arrest warrant for chief prosecutor

Ukraine war: ICC 'undeterred' by arrest warrant for chief prosecutor

The International Criminal Court says it is "undeterred" by Russia putting its chief prosecutor on a wanted list.
It comes two months after the ICC's Karim Khan issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a statement on Saturday, the court said the move was an attempt to undermine its "lawful mandate to ensure accountability for the gravest crimes".

Russia, which is not an ICC member, previously described the warrant against Mr Putin as being "void".

Mr Khan, a British lawyer, issued the arrest warrant for President Putin in March. It alleged he is responsible for war crimes, and has focused its claims on the unlawful deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.

A warrant was also issued for Russia's child rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on similar charges.

More than 16,000 children are thought to have been forcibly transferred to Russia from Ukraine since the war began, according to officials in Kyiv.

The ICC said at the time there were reasonable grounds to believe both Mr Putin and Ms Lvova-Belova bore individual criminal responsibility.

The Kremlin's investigative committee in turn announced this week that it would begin an investigation into Mr Khan for the "criminal prosecution of a person known to be innocent".

In a statement on Saturday, the Hague-based ICC said it was "aware and profoundly concerned about unwarranted and unjustified coercive measures reportedly taken against ICC officials".

Branding the measures "unacceptable", the court said it would not be prevented from continuing to "deliver on its independent mandate".

Mr Khan is yet to comment on the action against him.

Meanwhile, the special representative of the United Nations secretary-general for children and armed conflict, Virginia Gamba, came under separate scrutiny after she reportedly met with Ms Lvova-Belova in Moscow.

The Russian was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying the conversation was "constructive and sincere".

Rights groups and senior officials took issue, though, with some suggesting the meeting was inappropriate.

"Ukrainian victims deserve to see Lvova-Belova behind bars in The Hague, not meeting with high-level UN officials," Balkees Jarrah, associate director in the International Justice Programme at Human Rights Watch, said.

Last September, Ms Lvova-Belova complained that some children removed from the city of Mariupol "spoke badly about the [Russian President], said awful things and sang the Ukrainian anthem."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×