Venezuela’s National Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a law that revokes the ratification of the Rome Statute, paving the way for the South American country’s exit from the International Criminal Court (ICC), responsible for investigating human rights violations on Venezuelan territory.
Assembly Speaker Jorge Rodríguez, a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro, said the law would take effect immediately. Maduro is expected to sign the revocation so that the country can formally notify the ICC of its intention to withdraw.
The law will demonstrate to the world the “uselessness and servitude” of the ICC, Rodríguez said at the assembly, accusing the court of acting in the interest of “American imperialism.”
In 2020, then-ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said there was reasonable basis to believe that government and military officials had committed crimes against humanity in Venezuela since 2017. A formal investigation began the following year.
The country’s opposition and human rights groups say anti-government protests in 2017 were suppressed through torture, arbitrary detention and abuses by security forces. More than 120 people died.
The approved project follows the ICC’s recent decision to close its Caracas office, established in June 2023, citing a lack of “real progress” from the Maduro government.
The Rome Statute is the 1998 treaty that created the ICC and requires member states to cooperate in the investigation of serious international crimes. Venezuela joined the Court in 2000.
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