Russia's Withdrawal From ICC to Support Country's Sovereignty - Snowden’s Lawyer

Russia's decision to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC) was made in the national interests of the country, Anatoly Kucherena, best known as US whistleblower Edward Snowden’s lawyer, said Monday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The lawyer reminded that Russia had signed the Rome Statute of the ICC without ever ratifying it.

"I saw the practices of the Criminal Court, it is neither here nor there… [The Russian president] probably made the right decision that benefits the sovereignty of our country," Kucherena said giving a lecture at an university in Moscow.

On November 16, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order on Russia's refusal to take part in the Rome Statute of the ICC. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision had been motivated by the national interests, while Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said later that the ICC had lost its objectivity.