Armenia President ratifies Rome Statute

PanARMENIAN.Net - President Vahagn Khachaturyan has signed into law a decision by the Armenian parliament to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), putting Armenia in the jurisdiction of the Hague court despite warnings from its longtime ally Russia.

Khachaturyan's move was announced in a brief statement published on the Armenian presidency's website.

"On October 13, the President of the Republic of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturian signed a statement on the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court signed on July 17, 1998 and on the adoption of a statement 'On the retroactive recognition of the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court by the Republic of Armenia' based on Article 12, Part 3 of the Statute," the statement said.

On October 3, 60 Armenian lawmakers, mostly representing the ruling Civil Contract party, voted for the ratification of the treaty while 22 lawmakers voted against.

The Kremlin, which last month warned that Armenia’s move would worsen a growing rift with Moscow, called the parliament's ratification an “extremely hostile” move toward Russia and "an incorrect decision."

The ICC in March issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children's commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for their roles in the deportation of Ukrainian children after Moscow's unprovoked invasion of its neighbor.