ICC Chief Prosecutor Urges Russia to Lead in Solving Disputes Legally

Russia should play a crucial role in solving issues through existing legal international mechanisms as it has rich expertise in the area, the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) first chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo told Sputnik on Friday, following Moscow's decision to leave the organization.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – 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. The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement asserting that the ICC had failed to fulfill its promises to become an independent, authoritative adjudicator.

"The world is facing a crucial challenge: is humanity going to solve problems through the use of force in a nuclear time or through legal mechanisms? Russia has a long international legal tradition and should lead," Moreno-Ocampo said.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini expressed on Thursday her regret about the Russia's decision.