Russia places Italian judge on most-wanted list after he sentenced Putin to 15 years in prison

Russia on Friday sentenced the top judges and chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to prison in retaliation after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin in connection with the Ukraine war. In 2023, prosecutor Karim Khan accused Putin of illegally deporting children from the Russian-occupied territory of Ukraine. Moscow responded by opening a case against him and put the judge on Russia’s most wanted list.

The Moscow city court found that “ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan unlawfully prosecuted Russian citizens in the Hague” and that the ICC “instructed chamber judges to issue clearly unlawful arrest warrants.”

Russia is not a member of the ICC and none of the defendants were present at the hearing.
Khan, 55, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison, while eight ICC staff, including former chief justice Piotr Hofmanski, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 3.5 to 15 years.

Khan is currently suspended from office amid an internal investigation following allegations of sexual harassment, which he denies.

Since Russia sent troops to Ukraine, it has imposed numerous absentee sentences on dissidents, journalists, the opposition and foreign politicians it could not reach.
Khan was also sanctioned by the US over the ICC’s investigations into US and Israeli officials. Neither the United States nor Israel are among the court’s 125 members.

FAQ

Q1. What is the full form of ICC?

A1. The full form of the ICC is International Criminal Court.

Q2. Who is the President of Russia?

A2. The President of Russia is Vladimir Putin.