In a significant development, Russia has announced the addition of Piotr Hofmanski, the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), to its wanted list. This move comes in response to the ICC’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year, alleging war crimes related to the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
Russia has officially placed Piotr Hofmanski, the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), on its wanted list. The notice, appearing in the Russian interior ministry database, identifies Hofmanski as “Hofmanski Piotr Jozef, Polish,” wanted under an article of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. However, specific details regarding the allegations against Hofmanski have not been provided by the Russian authorities.
This development is a direct response to the ICC’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March. The ICC, based in The Hague, accused Putin of war crimes, particularly concerning the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. Furthermore, the ICC also issued a similar warrant for Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights.
It’s noteworthy that Russia has previously issued arrest warrants for ICC prosecutor Karim Khan and several judges. Russia, although not a member of the ICC, has consistently declared the warrant against President Putin as “void.”
In September, the ICC extended its presence by opening a field office in Ukraine, as part of efforts to hold Russian forces accountable for their actions in the Western-backed country. This expansion underscores the ICC’s commitment to investigating and addressing alleged war crimes in the region.
