Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev has declared that the International Criminal Court is dead following sanctions issued by Washington against its leadership.
Dmitriev, the special representative of President Vladimir Putin for economic cooperation with foreign countries, posted his comment on social media platform X. He stated that the judicial body was dead and added that European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas was not yet aware of the situation.
The Russian envoy made his statement in response to a post on X by the European External Action Service. Leadership at the European diplomatic body had published a message expressing regret after the United States targeted members of the tribunal with sanctions on Tuesday.
United States Sanctions
The measures were introduced by the United States Department of the Treasury against International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane. Treasury officials also placed sanctions on lawyer Abdoulaye Seye in the same action.
According to official treasury documents, the sanctions impose strict financial restrictions on both individuals. Under the order, conducting any monetary transactions with either Akane or Seye is now prohibited.
Role of the International Criminal Court
The International Criminal Court is an independent judicial body based in The Hague, Netherlands. Established under international treaty, the tribunal hears cases involving serious global offenses, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, when national courts are unable or unwilling to act.
The European External Action Service functions as the diplomatic service of the European Union, managing diplomatic relations with foreign nations and carrying out foreign policy strategy. Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas oversees the organisation, representing the European Union on international affairs.
Kirill Dmitriev serves as President Vladimir Putin's special representative for international economic cooperation, representing Moscow in high level financial and diplomatic engagements abroad. His comments reflect ongoing tensions between Russian officials and international legal institutions.
