Russia has said it is formally withdrawing its signature from the founding statute of the international criminal court, a day after the court published a report classifying the Russian annexation of Crimea as an occupation. The repudiation of the tribunal, though symbolic, is a fresh blow to efforts to establish a global legal order for pursuing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Russia signed the Rome statute in 2000 and cooperated with the court, but had not ratified the treaty and thus remained outside the ICC’s jurisdiction. The US, India and China as well as most Middle Eastern states have declined to ratify the Rome statute which established the court. Russia signed the Rome Statute in 2000 but did not ratify it and is not a State party.

Source: The Guardian November 16, 2016 12:27 UTC