Armenian Parliament Committee Approves Ratification of the Rome Statute

The Permanent Commission on State-Legal Affairs of the National Assembly of Armenia gave a positive conclusion today for the draft concerning the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The document will be discussed at the parliamentary plenary session.

The rapporteur, Armenia's representative on international legal matters, Yeghishe Kirakosyan, noted that the process of ratification is being reinterpreted today, especially in light of the forced displacement of our compatriots from Artsakh.
“This forced displacement, we believe, falls among the crimes subject to the jurisdiction of the Statute as crimes against humanity. This further emphasizes the necessity of initiating this process,” said Kirakosyan.

He explained why the government proposed not only to ratify the Statute but also to retroactively recognize the court's jurisdiction starting from May 10, 2021. During that period, Azerbaijani armed forces began to invade the sovereign territory of Armenia, leading to abductions and other human rights violations.

According to Kirakosyan, the ratification of the Statute could play a significant role in Armenia's security sector. “For instance, there might be countries that will prioritize this factor when it comes to providing various types of defense systems or arms trade. The ratification may have secondary effects,” he stated.

It is noteworthy that Armenia signed the Rome Statute on October 1, 1999, but did not ratify it. The process was interrupted on August 13, 2004, when the document was deemed inconsistent with the Constitution of Armenia. Considering that the Constitution has been amended twice since then, the government of Nikol Pashinyan decided to resume the ratification process and therefore appealed to the Constitutional Court once again.

The Constitutional Court ruled on March 24 that Armenia's accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is consistent with the current Constitution. On September 13, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced that the Rome Statute would be ratified with his stance and complete support from parliamentary colleagues. He also added that it has no connection to Armenia-Russia relations.