Russia Opens Criminal Probe Into ICC After Putin Arrest Warrant

Russia said Monday that it had opened a criminal investigation into International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan after the court based in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin.

"The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case against the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Ahmad Khan" and several ICC judges, the Investigative Committee said, based on their "unlawful" decision to seek Putin's arrest.

Khan is being investigated on the grounds of "criminal prosecution of a person known to be innocent... and preparation of an attack on a representative of a foreign state enjoying international protection," the statement from the Investigative Committee said.