The court’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, sought to downplay the impact of the departures, saying, “this is not a crisis for the Rome Statute system, but a set-back in our joint efforts towards achieving a more peaceful and just world.”
Human Rights Watch urged member states not to water down the court’s core principles, such as its refusal to recognize head of state immunity, in a bid to prevent more departures.
“The ICC withdrawals risk becoming a bargaining chip by countries looking to make the world safer for abusive dictators,” said Elizabeth Evenson, HRW’s associate international justice director.
Putin’s decree, published on the …read more
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
