Armenian government has no plans to arrest Putin after Rome Statute ratification

This was stated by the Deputy Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Hakob Arshakyan in an interview with Armenpress.

The official clarified that ratifying the Rome Statute was not a reaction to the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin. The law was adopted as a response to Azerbaijan's aggression against Armenia's sovereign territories, and the ratification would allow Armenia to “bring Azerbaijan's servicemen to justice”. 

The issue of ratification was raised on January 3, 2022, and discussions lasted for almost three months. During this time, the Constitutional Court determined whether the Rome Statute aligned with the Armenian constitution's principles.

Arshakyan clarified that the warrant for Putin's arrest was published on March 17, while the decision on ratification by the Constitutional Court of Armenia was issued on March 24. 

He emphasized that the decision of the Constitutional Court does not find anyone guilty in any matter and does not require the arrest of anyone. “The government of Armenia in December 2022 could not have predicted the probability or content of the specific decisions of the International Criminal Court in March,” he said. 

Arshakyan also emphasized that the ruling party of the country “has no intention or desire” to arrest Putin in case he visits Armenia. Additionally, he noted that the ratification of the Rome Statute does not inevitably lead to Putin's arrest.

He further explained that the country has signed an agreement with another country, which ensures that the Rome Statute will not affect their bilateral relations. He believes that such an agreement is also possible with Russia, and other options are available. “One thing is clear: we have heard the concerns expressed by the Russian Federation, and we are committed to ensuring that the further process related to the Rome Statute does not harm the strategic relations between Armenia and Russia,” he said.

• On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Russian Federation, Maria Lvova-Belova.