On July 24 local time, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Práxedes announced on social media that, at the instruction of Acting President Rodríguez, Venezuela had informed the United Nations to decide to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) 'resolutely and unconditionally' in accordance with Article 127 of the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court.
Pracencia stated that Venezuela believes there is a clear regional bias in the operation of the ICC. International justice is not truly applied fairly; instead, it is used as a tool to exacerbate inequality among countries, and it ignores the right of people around the world to self-determination and national sovereignty.
He reiterated that the Venezuelan government will continue to work towards promoting international justice that is truly fair, just, and respectful of national sovereignty and the right of peoples to self-determination.
Reuters reported that as early as December last year, the National Assembly of Venezuela voted to pass a law that revoked its approval of the Rome Statute, paving the way for Venezuela’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.
The International Criminal Court was established in 2002, located in The Hague, the Netherlands. Its main function is to prosecute and adjudicate individuals who commit crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression. It is worth noting that China, Russia, and the United States, which are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, have not joined this statute. The United States signed the Rome Statute on December 31, 2000, but withdrew its signature before it was approved by Congress.
On the same day that Venezuela announced its withdrawal from the ICC, the institution's member state voted to remove the British chief prosecutor Karim Khan from his position due to allegations of sexual misconduct. In May 2024, Khan requested the ICC to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and others. In the same month, third-party reports alleged that Khan had committed sexual misconduct against a female staff member.
