Moscow requested clarification from Yerevan on the decision of the Armenian government’s decision to submit the Rome Statute to the parliament for ratification, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing on September 5.
“Our further steps will depend on Yerevan’s response,” Zakharova said.
Months earlier, on July 21, according to the TASS news agency, Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Yuri Vorobyov said that Yerevan’s accession to the Rome Statute would “harm” Russian-Armenian relations.
The statement followed the judgement passed by the Constitutional Court of Armenia on March 24, 2023 stipulating that the Rome Statute does not contradict the country’s constitution.
To recall that on September 1, the Armenian government submitted to the National Assembly a draft decision on ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. By joining the ICC, Yerevan will be able to raise before the court the issue of prosecuting aggression and war crimes committed by Azerbaijan against Armenia and its citizens.
On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on suspicion of illegally deporting Ukrainian children to Russia during the war in Ukraine.
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