Parliament approves joining Int’l Criminal Court, defying Russia

The Armenian parliament on Tuesday ratified the Rome Statute, thus joining International Criminal Court (ICC) jurisdiction in a show of defiance to Russia, which has strongly opposed the decision.

The move means Armenia undertakes to comply with ICC decisions, including an arrest warrant for Russian president Vladimir Putin. In March, the court accused him of abetting deportation of children from Russian-held Ukrainian territory.

Earlier, however, an Armenian top official pledged the ratification was not meant to "harm the strategic relations between Armenia and Russia", and Yerevan would not be arresting Mr Putin should he ever come.

"This is a wrong perception, because not long ago we signed an agreement with another country, according to which the Rome Statute will not affect our bilateral relations. Such a settlement can be reached with Russia," deputy speaker of the Armenian parliament Hakob Arshakyan said.

Armenian opposition factions, believed to keep close ties with Russia, did not vote for the ratification of the Rome Statute and left the assembly in protest.

They have pledged to hold mass rallies following Azerbaijan’s overtaking Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist state that had been supported by Yerevan, accusing the government of Nikol Pashynyan of inaction.

More than 40 countries have supported the arrest warrant for the Russian dictator and donated USD 4.9 million to support the ICC in its investigations into war crimes in Ukraine.