Venezuela Notifies UN of “Irrevocable” Withdrawal from International Criminal Court

Venezuela has formally notified the United Nations of its “irrevocable” decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC continues its ongoing investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela, with the withdrawal applying without affecting proceedings already begun before it takes effect.

International Criminal Court (ICC) and Recent Withdrawal Moves:

Dimension	Key Details
Current trigger (Venezuela)	Venezuela has formally notified the United Nations of its “irrevocable” decision to withdraw from the ICC.
Effect on ongoing cases	The withdrawal applies without affecting investigations or legal proceedings that have already begun before the withdrawal takes effect.
Ongoing ICC action in Venezuela	The ICC continues its ongoing investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in Venezuela.
Stated justification by Venezuela	The government justifies the move by alleging a “geographical bias” within the court, claiming it disproportionately targets nations in the Global South across Africa and Latin America.
Other withdrawal announcements	Chad has also announced plans to withdraw from the ICC, following similar moves by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger last year.
ICC nature and seat	The ICC is established as an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal, and comprises its seat in The Hague, Netherlands.
Legal basis and year	The ICC is established in 2002 under the multilateral Rome Statute.
Mandated crimes	The ICC authorises prosecution of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves.
Jurisdiction conditions (general)	The ICC jurisdiction generally applies where: the accused is a national of a state party; the alleged crime takes place on the territory of a state party; or a situation is referred to the Court by the United Nations Security Council.
Non-party countries (as per article)	Countries that are not party to the Rome Statute and do not recognise the court's jurisdiction comprise China, India, Russia, and the United States.
Named individual in ICC action	Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is wanted by the ICC over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.