YEREVAN, October 3. /TASS/. The ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) by Armenia’s parliament is not an unfriendly act against Russia or the Russian president, Hakob Arshakyan, the Vice-Speaker of the Armenian Parliament and Co-Chairman of the Armenian-Russian Inter-Parliamentary Commission, has said.

"The ratification of the Rome Statute is by no means an unfriendly act against Russia or the president of Russia, contrary to the opinion of some of our Russian counterparts. I am sure that the tensions in relations with Russia will be sorted out and overcome," he said.

The Armenian parliament ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC on Tuesday with the votes of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan-led faction. The opposition factions Armenia and I Have Honor, which boycotted the discussion of the issue, returned to the session hall and voted against. They warned that the adoption of the document had nothing to do with Armenia's interests and pursued geopolitical aims. Earlier they came out with a statement to condemn the authorities for the decision to ratify the document, noting that such a step deliberately jeopardized the allied relations with Russia, which was fraught with grave consequences.

Armenia’s representative for international legal issues Yeghishe Kirakosyan has reiterated that the ratification of the Rome Statute was directed against Azerbaijan’s military personnel who had committed war crimes on the territory of Armenia.

The Rome Statute

The Rome Statute is an international treaty that established the International Criminal Court. It is also its Charter. The document was adopted at the diplomatic conference in Rome on July 17, 1998 and went into effect on July 1, 2002. It outlines the functions, jurisdiction and structure of the court (which is not part of the UN).

The ICC prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and acts of aggression. The amendment on crimes of aggression was passed in December 2017. The ICC exercises jurisdiction only over crimes committed after July 1, 2002 on the territory of a state party and nationals of state parties on the territory of any other country. If a crime is committed in a state that is not a party to the Statute or its nationals are suspected of grave crimes, the UN Security Council can issue a mandate to launch a criminal investigation.

States that are not parties to the ICC and seek to investigate crimes committed on their soil can issue a special statement to recognize the court’s jurisdiction over a crime. The UN Security Council can suspend the court’s work and any arrest warrants it issues. The ICC has jurisdiction only over individuals. The court can sentence a person to 30 years or even life in prison, but is prohibited from imposing the death penalty.