Russian rejection of ICC mirrors US stance

WashingTon: The United States expressed regret that Russia had withdrawn from the International Criminal Court – 14 years after Washington made exactly the same decision.

While Washington accuses Russian forces of brutal crimes in Syria and Ukraine, it does not accept the jurisdiction of the court over its own personnel.

Like Russia, the United States signed the Rome Statute of July 17, 1998, but neither country ever ratified it and now both have definitively rejected its authority.

Russia’s decision was seen by many as the latest step in a trend that may threaten the future of world justice, after a string of African countries pulled out from the court.

“Obviously we recognise these are decisions that ultimately are sovereign national decisions to make,” US State Department spokesman John Kirby said.

“But that doesn’t – even though we’re not a signatory – diminish our belief that the court does provide a valuable framework.”

The United States withdrew from the Rome Statute in May 2002, in a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan from US under secretary of state John Bolton.

At the time, president George W. Bush had just launched a global war on terror and invaded Afghanistan in response to the Sept 11 attacks.

On Tuesday, ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said she is considering launching a full investigation into reports that US CIA operatives tortured captive suspects. That they did is in little doubt. US investigations concluded that the Bush administration’s “enhanced interrogation techniques” were unlawful.

Bush’s successor, President Barack Obama banned the harsh techniques and in August 2014 admitted candidly: “We tortured some folks.” — AFP

We recognise these are decisions that ultimately are sovereign national decisions to make. John Kirby