Armenia will officially become a member of the International Criminal Court in February

Armenia will become the 124th country to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). The country has officially submitted its application for membership and will become an official member of the jurisdiction on February 1, 2024, the ICC announced on Friday, November 17. This announcement comes a month after the ratification of the Rome Statute, the founding text of the court, by the Armenian President, Vahagn Khachaturian.

Armenia’s desire to join the ICC has aroused the ire of Russia, Yerevan’s traditional ally with whom relations have become considerably strained. The ICC issued an arrest warrant against the Russian president in March for the “deportation” of Ukrainian children to Russia. Members of the ICC must arrest Vladimir Putin if he sets foot on their territory.

Armenia hopes its membership will offer it additional protection against its powerful neighbor Azerbaijan, which won a lightning military victory in Nagorno-Karabakh in September. Membership in the International Criminal Court could also allow Armenia to encourage investigations into what it considers to be “war crimes” from Baku to Nagorno-Karabakh, accusations brushed aside by Azerbaijan.