Five countries have formally started the process of leaving the International Criminal Court as the Trump administration urges more governments to reject a tribunal it says threatens American sovereignty.
“Five countries so far have announced plans to withdraw from the Rome Statute, and we welcome more announcements in the future,” a State Department spokesperson told The Associated Press.
The United Nations treaty record identifies Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Venezuela and Chad as the five governments that filed notices between June 18 and July 27. Each withdrawal takes effect one year after notification under the Rome Statute, leaving all five among the court’s 125 states parties until 2027.
The Rome Statute established the Hague-based court to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression when national authorities do not act.
Washington presses sovereignty case
The United States signed the Rome Statute in 2000 but never ratified it. Washington notified the United Nations in 2002 that it did not intend to become a party and considered itself free of legal obligations arising from its signature.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a campaign on July 13 to counter the court’s assertion of jurisdiction over U.S. personnel and American allies. The State Department said the administration would use economic sanctions, travel restrictions and diplomatic pressure against the court and organizations that support its actions.
The Treasury Department sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane and Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor, on August 18. The administration has tied its actions to the court’s investigation involving U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and its pursuit of Israeli officials over the war in Gaza. The Dallas Express previously reported on the prosecutor’s 2024 applications for arrest warrants involving Israeli and Hamas leaders.
Chad says U.S. concerns influenced decision
Chadian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul said a U.S. official raised concerns about the court during a July 23 phone call and asked Chad to reconsider its membership. Chad filed its withdrawal notice four days later.
The State Department told the AP that Washington would call on countries benefiting from U.S. security protection to reject the court.
Other governments cite selective justice
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger offered a separate rationale. Their military-led governments jointly announced in September 2025 that they would leave, accusing the court of selective justice and calling it an instrument of “neocolonial repression.” They submitted formal notices in June.
Venezuela filed its notice on July 24. Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia accused the court of disregarding national sovereignty and the right to self-determination, the AP reported.
ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet said the court regretted the withdrawals and remained committed to prosecuting the most serious international crimes, according to the AP.
Existing cases remain active
A withdrawal does not erase the court’s authority over alleged crimes committed while the Rome Statute applied. Under Article 127, leaving the court does not discharge prior obligations or stop certain investigations and proceedings that began before the withdrawal took effect.
The Philippines left the court in 2019, but the ICC continued its case against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. Judges confirmed charges alleging crimes against humanity involving murder, torture and rape. His trial is scheduled to open on November 30.
The court’s Venezuela I investigation also remains active. Prosecutors say they found a reasonable basis to investigate allegations of crimes against humanity dating to at least April 2017.
Court faces leadership transition
The court’s states parties removed chief prosecutor Karim Khan on July 24 after finding that he committed serious misconduct and a serious breach of duty. A total of 82 states voted for removal. Khan denied wrongdoing, and his attorneys said they would challenge the decision, Reuters reported.
Deputy Prosecutors Mame Mandiaye Niang and Nazhat Shameem Khan jointly lead the Office of the Prosecutor while member states prepare to select a successor. Niang said the court was preparing technical alternatives in case Washington imposed additional sanctions and argued that the U.S. position reflected a misunderstanding of the court’s work.
The five withdrawals have not yet taken effect. Hungary rescinded its earlier withdrawal notice on May 29, while Ukraine remains the newest state party after joining on January 1, 2025, according to the UN treaty record.
Provided by Dallas Express
