RIO DE JANEIRO, April 29. /TASS/. The subject of creating an alternative to the International Criminal Court (ICC) within BRICS was brought up during the meeting of foreign ministers, but it was ultimately not included in the final communique, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brazil.
"This topic was raised, but it was not reflected in the final document because BRICS should not take it upon itself to establish any judicial bodies of its own," the foreign minister noted.
He emphasized that Russia supports the idea that "international judicial processes should rely on a strong consensus of all states and participants." In this context, Lavrov stated, "the ICC has completely discredited itself."
"This structure is being manipulated by Western countries: some states openly committing actions that violate international humanitarian law are overlooked, while punitive steps, including so-called arrest warrants, are selectively imposed on others without substantiated evidence," he said.
The foreign minister noted that Russia, independently of BRICS, is advancing an initiative to depoliticize international justice on the global stage, including through the United Nations, in order to gain the broadest possible support. "We are doing this to prevent further cases where crucial matters concerning state immunities, as protected by international law, are handed over to such blatantly biased bodies as the ICC," Russia's top diplomat explained. However, "this is a long-term endeavor," he added.
Lavrov also recalled that the African Union once expressed collective support for withdrawing from the ICC's jurisdiction and that this sentiment still resonates among its members.