Moscow Charges ICC Judge in Absentia Following Arrest Orders for Top Russian Military Officials

The Basmanny District Court in Moscow has issued an arrest in absentia for Haykel Ben Mahfoudh, a judge of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC), Russian Mediazona outlet reported on November 11.

Russia has initiated a criminal case against the ICC judge under charges related to unlawful detention. The judge has been placed on an international wanted list, according to the Russian state media TASS.

In June, Mahfoudh, along with two other ICC judges, Rosario Salvatore Aitala and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez, issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov. 

The Hague stated that Shoigu and Gerasimov were under suspicion of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity by directing attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine.