24/05/2026
BREAKING: Russia has reportedly issued arrest warrants against officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
A Russian court sentenced ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan and eight ICC judges in absentia, meaning they were convicted despite not being physically present in court.
Khan was reportedly sentenced to 15 years in prison, while the judges received prison terms ranging from 3.5 to 15 years. All nine have also been placed on Russia’s wanted list.
This is widely seen as a retaliatory move after the ICC issued an arrest warrant in 2023 against Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Bottom line: The ruling is largely symbolic. Russia does not recognize the ICC’s authority, and the ICC officials would realistically face risk only if they travel to Russia or to countries closely aligned with Moscow.
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