Ukraine’s Parliament ratifies International Criminal Court statute

Source: MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak/Telegram

Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada has ratified the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a significant milestone in the country’s commitment to international law.

The decision got the votes of 281 Ukrainian MPs who, prior to the vote, were sent letters from Ukraine’s General Staff and the Main Intelligence Directorate urging to green light the policy.

The ratification was initiated by president Volodymyr Zelensky on August 15. In a separate statement, Ukrainian officials said they will introduce 7-year wait time before the ICC is granted the jurisdiction over Ukrainian citizens concerning crimes outlined in Article 8 of the Rome Statute.

Kyiv also plans to ratify the Rome Statute with consideration of the 2010 Kampala Amendments, which include provisions on the crime of aggression. Given that ratification is not retroactive, Ukraine is likely to continue its efforts to establish a special tribunal to hold Russian leadership accountable for the 2022 invasion.

It’s worth noting that Ukraine initially signed the Rome Statute back in 2000, but only today, 24 years later, Ukraine has lived to its word to ratify it in full.