Venezuela's Legislative Move: Annulling the Rome Statute

Venezuela's national assembly unanimously voted to repeal the Rome Statute, signaling the country's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid ongoing investigations into human rights abuses. The ruling aims to highlight perceived biases of the ICC, linked to international imperialism.

On Thursday, Venezuela's national assembly took a decisive step by voting unanimously to repeal the law ratifying the Rome Statute, aiming to extricate the nation from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is currently probing allegations of human rights violations.

The assembly, led by Jorge Rodriguez, a staunch supporter of President Nicolas Maduro, expects the repeal to be promptly signed into law by Maduro, thereby officially notifying the ICC of Venezuela's intention to withdraw. Rodriguez criticized the ICC's actions as serving "North American imperialism," emphasizing the law's significance in questioning the court's validity and influence.

The move comes after a 2020 ICC announcement by Prosecutor Karim Khan, suggesting substantial grounds for crimes against humanity since 2017. The investigation began officially in 2021, focusing on claims from protests that were reportedly met with harsh crackdowns by security forces, resulting in over 120 deaths. The recent closure of the ICC's Caracas office, citing lack of progress, further fueled the legislative decision.

(With inputs from agencies.)