The International Criminal Court has called the threats coming from Dmitry Medvedev, tge former Russian President, an attempt to hinder efforts to prosecute for actions prohibited by international law.

"The Presidency of the Assembly of Party States to the Rome Statute refers to threats against the International Criminal Court as well as measures announced against its Prosecutor and Judges involved in the issuance of arrest warrants in the Ukraine situation. The Presidency of the Assembly regrets these attempts to hinder international efforts to ensure accountability for acts that are prohibited under general international law," the court said in the statement.

It emphasises that the court, its elected officials and staff enjoy the strong support of the Assembly of Party States to the Rome Statute.

"We reaffirm its full confidence in the Court as an independent and impartial judicial institution and reiterate our strong commitment to uphold and defend the principles and values enshrined in the Rome Statute and to preserve its integrity undeterred by any threats," the Assembly's presidency said.

"The International Criminal Court embodies our collective commitment to fight impunity for the gravest international crimes. As an institution of last resort, the Court is complementary to national jurisdictions. We call on all States to respect its judicial and prosecutorial independence," reads the statement.

Earlier, the Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case against the prosecutor and judges of the International Criminal Court for the "illegal prosecution of the obviously innocent" President of the Russian Federation.

Medvedev, who is currently the Deputy Head of the Russian Security Council, threatened to launch a missile attack on the International Criminal Court.

Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 March, in the view of the situation in Ukraine.