Russia wants to secure the extradition of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan
Following the suspension of Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it hopes to secure his extradition. Moscow believes that he will now allegedly no longer enjoy international immunity in countries that are parties to the Rome Statute.
Karim Khan gained notoriety after the ICC, at his request, issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and other high-ranking officials. At the same time, the prosecutor himself was sentenced in absentia in Russia to 15 years in prison.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to the removal of Karim Khan from his post as Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The ministry stated that it intends to seek his extradition to bring him to justice under Russian law.
The Russian ministry claims that following his removal, Karim Khan will allegedly no longer enjoy immunity as an international official in states that are parties to the Rome Statute. “We hope this will help secure his extradition to Russia so he can be held accountable for attempting to criminally prosecute knowingly innocent individuals and for targeting persons enjoying international protection,” the Russian Foreign Ministry stated.
At the same time, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that, in their view, the change in prosecutor is unlikely to significantly affect the work of the International Criminal Court. Moscow once again criticized the ICC, claiming that the court is allegedly being used as a tool for political pressure.
Karim Khan headed the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor and became one of its most prominent representatives after the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. In March 2023, at his request, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of illegally deporting Ukrainian children from the occupied territories to Russia.
Later, in November 2024, the ICC also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant. They are accused of war crimes related to hostilities in the Gaza Strip.
In the fall of 2024, a scandal erupted surrounding Karim Khan himself. He was accused of sexual harassment. Following this, his powers were suspended, and on July 24, a majority of the states parties to the Rome Statute—82 out of 125—supported the decision to suspend him from office pending further proceedings.
Russia opened its own criminal case against Karim Khan. He was placed on the wanted list, and in late 2025, the Moscow City Court sentenced the prosecutor in absentia to 15 years in prison. Russian authorities claim that he allegedly unlawfully persecuted Russian citizens by issuing, according to their version, “knowingly unlawful” arrest warrants.
The International Criminal Court has previously stated on multiple occasions that it continues to operate independently and that its decisions are made in accordance with international law. ICC warrants remain in effect until the court rules otherwise. This is stated in an official statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell stated that a campaign has been launched against International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan, which, in his view, could weaken the institution. In a column originally published by Project Syndicate, Borrell linked the pressure on the prosecutor to his decisions to seek arrest warrants for high-ranking officials and commanders.
