Armenian president signs law ratifying Rome Statute

Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan signed a law ratifying the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and recognizing the ICC’s legal powers, the Armenian president’s website reported.

Armenia signed the Rome Statute in 1998, but the ratification process broke down in 2004. At the end of 2022, the Armenian government resumed the ratification process.

Russia has actively opposed Armenia's ratification of the document, including because the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023.

The Armenian authorities said they were ratifying the statute because of security concerns, emphasizing that it would allow the ICC to hold Azerbaijan accountable for possible war crimes in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Armenian Parliament Deputy Speaker Hakob Arshakyan said in April that the country’s authorities were not going to arrest Putin.