"We regret the Russian Federation's decision to withdraw its signature and not to become a party to the Rome Statute establishing the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to the order signed yesterday by President Putin," Mogherini said.
She said that the European Union consistently urged Russia to ratify the Rome Statute it had signed on September 13, 2000.
"The European Union remains a staunch supporter of the ICC and is committed to full co-operation on the prevention of serious crimes falling under the jurisdiction of the Court, which is a key institution to assist citizens achieve justice when confronted with the most serious crimes, where this is not possible at the national level," Mogherini added.
On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an order pulling Russia’s participation from the ICC’s Rome Statute, saying the decision was in line with the country’s interest. Later, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement asserting that the ICC had failed to fulfill its promises to become an independent, authoritative adjudicator.
