In a joint statement, all three countries accused the ICC of being “a tool of neo-colonial repression controlled by imperialist powers.”
About ICC (HQ: Hague, Netherlands)
- It is the world’s first permanent international criminal court.
- Origin: Founded by Rome Statute (Adopted in 1998 and entered in force in 2002)
- Jurisdiction: investigate, prosecute, and try individuals (not groups or States) accused of committing serious crimes
- Crimes under ICC’s jurisdiction: Genocide, Crimes against humanity, War crimes, crime of aggression.
- Membership: 125 member countries
- India, Israel, the US, Russia and China are not parties to the Rome Statute.
- Funding: mainly by States Parties
- Enforcement: ICC's decisions are binding.
Issues with ICC
- Perceived Bias: It is accused of serving Western states’ interests and functioning as a neo-colonial or imperialist court.
- Neocolonialism: Powerful countries exert indirect control over developing nations through economic, political, cultural, or technological influence.
- Lack of Universal Jurisdiction: Many powerful nations are not members, weakening the Court’s reach.
- Also, only Covers events occurred after July 1, 2002.
- Political Resistance: E.g. France refused to enforce an ICC warrant against the Israeli PM, citing his head-of-state immunity as a non-member.
- Enforcement limitations: The ICC lacks its own police force; it depends on member states for arrests and cooperation.
