Following the issuance of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Russian officials.
President Vladimir Putin, for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, Russia reportedly added Piotr Hofmanski, the president of the ICC, to its wanted list, as per Fox News.
ICC President Piotr Hofmanski Added to Russia's Wanted List
A Russian interior ministry database notice indicated that Hofmanski was placed on the wanted list. However, it did not specify the details of the allegations, as reported by the Russian state-run news website TASS.
The notice stated, "Hofmanski Piotr Jozef, Polish. Wanted under an article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation," according to Agence France-Presse. In March, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Russia's Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, alleging their involvement in deporting Ukrainian children to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine.
Russia, not a member of the ICC, has consistently maintained that the warrant for Putin is invalid and, in retaliation, issued its arrest warrants for several ICC judges and prosecutors. eanwhile, independent UN-backed human rights experts announced on Monday that they have discovered ongoing evidence of war crimes committed by Russian forces in the conflict against Ukraine.
In March, the ICC announced an arrest warrant for Putin on the accusation of war crimes related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, according to WIO News.
ICC Issues New Warrants for Russian Officials
Another ICC warrant was issued for Russia's presidential commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, on similar charges. In addition, arrest warrants were issued for ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, along with several judges.
In September, the ICC established a field office in Ukraine to facilitate accountability for Russian forces involved in Moscow's offensive against the Western-backed country. Erik Mose, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, reported on Monday that the torture methods employed by Russian forces in parts of occupied Ukraine were so brutal that they resulted in the deaths of some victims.
Speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Mose revealed that his team had "collected further evidence indicating that the use of torture by Russian armed forces in areas under their control has been widespread and systematic."
The commission, led by Mose, visited areas in Ukraine previously held by Russian forces, including the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. Their findings indicated that torture was primarily committed in detention centers operated by Russian authorities.
Previously, the commission stated that violations by Russian forces in Ukraine, including torture, could amount to crimes against humanity. Despite being given the opportunity to respond to the allegations during the council hearing, no Russian representative attended the session.
The situation in Ukraine remains a matter of deep concern for international organizations, with ongoing investigations into alleged war crimes and human rights violations committed during the conflict. The issuance of arrest warrants by the ICC and the continued reporting of such breaches underscore the gravity of the situation and the imperative of holding those responsible accountable, Newsweek via MSN reported.
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