Moscow, September 25 – The Russian Interior Ministry has announced the search for the Chairman of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Petr Hofmanski, according to the ministry’s database posted on its website. The ministry stated that the basis for the search is the charges brought against Hofmanski under the Russian Criminal Code.
The Pre-Trial Chamber of the ICC, whose jurisdiction is not recognized by Russia, issued an “arrest” warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children’s ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova on March 17. The ICC accuses Russia of “deporting” children who were rescued by Russian authorities from Ukrainian shelling and evacuated from war zones to safe areas. Dmitry Peskov, the spokesman for the Russian President, stated that the ICC’s decision to “arrest” the Russian President is unacceptable, as Moscow does not recognize its jurisdiction and considers any of its decisions null and void under international law.
On March 20, the Investigative Committee of Russia (SKR) launched a criminal case against ICC judges Tomoko Akane, Rosario Aitala, Sergio Godinez, and prosecutor Karim Khan. The judges were charged with knowingly illegal imprisonment, preparation for an attack on a foreign state representative enjoying international protection with the aim of complicating international relations, and the prosecutor was charged with bringing a knowingly innocent person to criminal responsibility, combined with the unlawful accusation of committing a serious or particularly serious crime. Alexander Bastrykin, the Chairman of the SKR, previously announced in May that the agency would initiate a search for ICC judges who issued the “arrest” warrant for Putin.
