Armenian National Assembly Ratifies Rome Statute

The Parliament ratified the Rome Statute with 60 votes in favor and 22 against, a project recognizing the charter of the International Criminal Court and the court's jurisdiction retroactively.

It is noteworthy that representatives from opposition factions voted against the ratification. Additionally, on September 28, the project was unanimously approved by the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs.

The ratification of the agreement entails a straightforward process, similar to ordinary drafts and agreements. First, it will be discussed in the primary committee, in this case, the Legal Affairs Committee, and thereafter, upon receiving a positive conclusion, it will enter the agenda of the National Assembly sessions within the deadlines set by the committee.

The draft for ratification of the Rome Statute in the National Assembly requires the approval of the majority of the total number of deputies.

It should be noted that Armenia signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on October 1, 1999, but had not ratified it. The process was interrupted on August 13, 2004, when the document was deemed inconsistent with the Constitution of Armenia. However, the government of Nikol Pashinyan decided to resume the ratification process of the international treaty and approached the Constitutional Court once again for this purpose. The Constitutional Court decided on March 24 that Armenia's accession to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court is in accordance with the current Constitution.

This move by Armenia has been officially labeled unfriendly by Russia.