Armenian prime minister confirms Yerevan will fully ratify Rome Statute, recognizing jurisdiction of ICC

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that the country will fully ratify the Rome Statute, according to the outlet Armenpress.

Armenia signed the Rome Statute 25 years ago, in 1998, but never ratified it. The country’s government sent the document to parliament to be ratified in early September.

Pashinyan emphasized that the step “has no bearing on relations between Armenia and Russia,” saying it’s simply a matter of national security. Earlier this month, he explained: “War crimes are being committed against our country. We need this [ratification]; our country needs it.”

The Rome Statute is the founding document of the International Criminal Court (ICC). It’s been signed by 137 countries and ratified by more than 120.

In March 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin for his alleged role in the deportations of Ukrainian children from Ukraine’s occupied territories to Russia.