Karim Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, has stated that they are committed to demonstrating to the world that justice at their level is not “hot air.”
Khan told TV 47 on Friday that the arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin has the legal force of a court order.
In March 2023, Khan issued an arrest warrant for President Putin.
It has accused Russia’s President of war crimes and has focused its claims on the illegal deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
According to the report, the crimes were committed in Ukraine at least since February 24, 2022, when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, has also been served with an arrest warrant.
Khan stated on Friday that the ICC independent judges reviewed his warrant application before it was issued and agreed with the assessment that the standard of evidence was sufficient for issuance.
“I have been trying my best and I have given an undertaking God willing that we will not be bringing cases that are not strong,” he said.
“This is the time that we have to show international justice is not hot air and false promises. There is a foundation to it.”
Khan expressed confidence in that there is a foundation in the arrest warrant for Putin.
“Now it is for us to make sure that we can do our job in all situations of the world because every human life matters equally,” he added.
Khan stated that, while he respects Russia’s role as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the law must be applied in the most effective way possible – “the law must apply as effectively as possible as far as possible.”
He stated that the Hague-based court is a last resort and that justice should be served at home.
