Moscow, Russia

Following the issuance of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in March, Russian authorities have added ICC prosecutor Karim Khan to their "wanted" list. 

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As per AFP, Khan's photo appeared in the Russian interior ministry's database on Friday. The notice reportedly identifies Khan as "a man born on March 30, 1970, in Edinburgh, Scotland" but fails to specify his offence.

Was Karim Khan investigated?

In March, Russia's Investigative Committee, which is responsible for investigating major crimes, stated that Khan was under investigation for the "criminal prosecution of a person known to be innocent" and for allegedly planning "an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection."

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Reuters reports that Moscow opened cases against Khan and three ICC judges on March 20 — just days after the ICC order for Putin's arrest.

Also read | 31 children that Russia 'stole' return home to Ukraine

Why did the ICC issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin?

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As per AFP, the ICC's arrest warrant against Putin was issued for alleged war crimes related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. 

In addition to Putin's arrest warrant, the international court had also issued an arrest warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights.

Can Putin actually be arrested?

Since Russia is not a member of the ICC, the country has dismissed the validity of the arrest warrants and said they were "void".

Nevertheless, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the ICC's decision as a "historic" one that initiates historic accountability. US President Joe Biden too supported the arrest warrant for Putin, stating that it was "justified".

How many children has Russia 'stolen'?

According to Kyiv, more than 16,000 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the start of Moscow's offensive in February 2022. The war-torn nation has alleged that many of these children have reportedly been placed in institutions and foster homes.

Russia and Putin have denied that any war crimes have been committed during the invasion of Ukraine. Instead, they allege that they are victims of Western aggression and lies. The nation also claims that it has saved Ukrainian children from the horrors of the war.

Also read | WION explains: The ultimate, yet hard to prove war crime called 'genocide'

However, last month, in a resolution adopted by its parliamentary assembly, the Council of Europe too condemned Russia's forced transfer of Ukrainian children and declared that it constitutes genocide.

The resolution highlighted that there is evidence indicating that the deported children were subjected to a process of "russification" through re-education in Russian language, culture, and history and emphasised that these transfers of Ukrainian children were clearly part of a systematic state policy, with the intention of eradicating any connection to their Ukrainian identity and eliminating their Ukrainian cultural characteristics.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) also called for the United Nations and the Red Cross to be granted access, enabling them to collect information about the affected children.

(With inputs from agencies)

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