Armenian parliament recognises International Criminal Court in slap in face for Putin

The Armenian parliament has voted to ratify the Rome Statute, the international treaty that founded the International Criminal Court (ICC), Russian news agency TASS reported on Tuesday.

The move by Yerevan is a controversial one as it will oblige Armenian authorities to recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction and require it to enforce arrest warrants issued by the court. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights Maria Lvova-Belova in March for their alleged involvement in “the unlawful deportation” of children from occupied areas of Ukraine. The Kremlin slammed Yerevan’s move as “hostile” on Thursday.

Despite the two largest opposition parties in the Armenian parliament voting against ratification, Armenia’s ruling party had enough votes to pass the bill, regional outlet Armenia Today reported.

The bill must now be signed into law by Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan, with the bill entering force 60 days afterwards.

Yerevan’s decision to ratify the Rome Statute means that Putin and Lvova-Belova could face arrest and deportation to The Hague if they travel to Armenia.

The Armenian government’s decision to ratify the Rome Statute was not linked to the worsening relations between Yerevan and Moscow, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on 11 September, instead citing tensions with neighbouring Azerbaijan as the reason the legislation had been brought forward.