"The National Assembly of Venezuela has approved the repeal of the law endorsing the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court," the parliament said on Telegram on Thursday.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez noted that the decision was made to "announce to the world the futility of an institution that should serve to protect the people, but instead serves only the goals of American imperialism."
The jurisdiction of the ICC is not recognized by countries with more than half of the world's population. In addition to Russia, the list includes the US, China, India, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, and Saudi Arabia. The Rome Statute has been signed by 137 states, yet only 124 countries have ratified the document.
In recent years, the ICC has issued arrest warrants for several world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. These decisions have been criticized. Some states, such as Hungary, decided to withdraw from the ICC, while US President Donald Trump signed the executive order on sanctions against the ICC for its actions against Washington and its allies, including Israel. The order states that the US will take significant measures against those "responsible for the ICC's transgressions." Some of the measures include the blocking of property and assets, as well as the suspension of entry into the US for ICC staff and their family members.