Kremlin threatens Armenia with "negative consequences" for joining Rome Statute
The Constitutional Court's decision on accession is yet to be ratified by the Armenian parliament
Armenia's intention to accede to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) may have "negative consequences" for Yerevan. This was stated by a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, The Moscow Times reports.
According to the diplomat, Moscow considers the Armenian authorities' move unacceptable against the backdrop of the ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"Our Armenian colleagues have been warned of the extremely negative consequences of their possible steps for bilateral relations with Russia," the representative of the department emphasized.
On March 24, the head of the Constitutional Court of Armenia, Arman Dilanyan, announced the recognition of the obligations enshrined in the Rome Statute of the ICC, which are in line with the Basic Law of the Republic.
According to him, the decision of the Constitutional Court is final and comes into force upon publication. Now it must be ratified by the Armenian parliament.
Background. On March 17, the ICC (The Hague Tribunal) issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Putin and Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova. They are accused of committing war crimes in Ukraine, including the deportation of Ukrainian children from the annexed Ukrainian territories.
The ICC operates on the basis of the Rome Statute, which is signed by 123 countries. After an arrest warrant is issued in any of these countries, Putin can be detained to be brought to The Hague.
According to ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, the arrest warrant for Putin will be valid for the rest of his life. "He will remain an alleged criminal until he is brought to trial or until he is brought to trial and acquitted," Khan emphasized.
As reported, Armenia may join the countries that have recognized the Rome Statute.
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