Kyiv Ratifies Rome Statute

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has voted in favor of ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), but with a provision that protects Ukrainians from prosecution for war crimes.

This was reported by the RBC Ukraine publication. The document was adopted with 281 votes in favor, 1 against, and 22 abstentions. The deputy head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Iryna Mudra, stated that the ratification of the Rome Statute makes the country a full member of the ICC, allowing it to nominate candidates for the positions of ICC judges and prosecutors, participate in the voting for judges and other elected officials, and effectively cooperate with the ICC.

At the same time, Ukraine ratified the Rome Statute with a separate declaration provided for in Article 124, which states that within seven years of its entry into force, the ICC will not have jurisdiction over crimes against the Rome Statute's Article 8, namely war crimes, committed by Ukrainian citizens.

The ICC was established in 1998 based on the Rome Statute. Currently, 123 countries participate in the international treaty. The court is located in The Hague but has branches in countries where investigations are underway.

Ukraine signed the Rome Statute on January 20, 2000, but did not ratify it until now. Countries that are not members of the statute include Russia (which signed but did not ratify), the USA (which signed but later withdrew its signature), and China (which has not signed the statute).

Armenia ratified the Rome Statute on October 3, 2023. It will enter into force on February 1, 2024.