Editing International Criminal Court (section)

==Operation==
The ICC began operations on 1 July 2002, upon the entry into force of the [[Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court|Rome Statute]], a [[multilateral treaty]] that serves as the court's [[charter]] and governing document. States which become party to the Rome Statute become members of the ICC, serving on the Assembly of States Parties, which administers the court. As of January 2025, there are [[States parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court|125 ICC member states]], 29 states have signed but not ratified the Rome Statute (including four who have withdrawn their signature) and 41 states have neither signed nor become parties to the Rome Statute.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XVIII-10&chapter=18&clang=_en |title=Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court |publisher=[[United Nations Treaty Series|United Nations Treaty Collection]] |date=2024-10-26 |access-date=2024-10-26}}</ref>

Intended to serve as the "court of last resort", the ICC complements existing national [[judicial system]]s and may exercise its jurisdiction only when national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ICC Myths |url=https://www.coalitionfortheicc.org/explore/icc-myths |access-date=2022-03-16 |website=Coalition for the International Criminal Court}}</ref> It lacks universal territorial jurisdiction and may only investigate and prosecute crimes committed within member states, crimes committed by nationals of member states, or crimes in situations referred to the Court by the [[United Nations Security Council]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hesenov |first=Rahim |date=2013-09-01 |title=Universal Jurisdiction for International Crimes – A Case Study |journal=European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research|volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=275–283 |doi=10.1007/s10610-012-9189-8 |issn=1572-9869|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Sunga |first=Lyal S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dbb8eQH-vbQC |title=The Emerging System of International Criminal Law: Developments in Codification and Implementation |date=1997-09-17 |publisher=Martinus Nijhoff Publishers |isbn=978-90-411-0472-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sunga |first=Lyal S. |date=1998 |title=The crimes within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (Part II, Articles 5-10) |url=https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1640086358 |journal=European Journal of Crime, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice |language=English |volume=6 |issue=4 |pages=61–83 |doi=10.1163/15718179820518629 |issn=0928-9569|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

[[File:Vladimir Putin and Omar al-Bashir (2017-11-23) 02.jpg|thumb|Sudanese president [[Omar al-Bashir]] and Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] in November 2017]]
The ICC held its first hearing in 2006, concerning war crimes charges against [[Thomas Lubanga Dyilo]], a Congolese warlord accused of recruiting child soldiers; his subsequent conviction in 2012 was the first in the court's history. The Office of the Prosecutor has opened twelve [[International Criminal Court investigations|official investigations]] and is conducting an additional nine preliminary examinations.

[[List of people indicted in the International Criminal Court|Dozens of individuals]] have been indicted in the ICC, including Ugandan rebel leader [[Joseph Kony]], former President [[Omar al-Bashir]] of [[Sudan]], President [[Uhuru Kenyatta]] of [[Kenya]], Libyan head of state [[Muammar Gaddafi]], President [[Laurent Gbagbo]] of [[Ivory Coast]] and former Vice President [[Jean-Pierre Bemba]] of the [[Democratic Republic of the Congo]].

On 17 March 2023, ICC judges issued [[International Criminal Court arrest warrants for Russian leaders|arrest warrants]] for Russian president [[Vladimir Putin]] and the [[Children's ombudsman#Russia|Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights in Russia]] [[Maria Lvova-Belova]]<ref name="icc_judges_2023_03_17_reuters">{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrant-against-putin-over-alleged-war-crimes-2023-03-17/|title=ICC judges issue arrest warrant for Putin over war crimes in Ukraine|first1=Anthony|last1=Deutsch|first2=Toby|last2=Sterling|work=Reuters|date=17 March 2023|accessdate=17 March 2023}}</ref><ref name="issues_warrant_2023_03_17_reuters">{{Cite news |last1=Meijer |first1=Bart H. |last2=Harmash |first2=Olena |date=2023-03-18 |title=Ukraine war: International court issues warrant for Putin's arrest|work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/us-says-video-shows-russian-jet-intercepted-spy-drone-near-ukraine-2023-03-16/ |access-date=2023-03-18}}</ref><ref name="Khan_statement_Putin_LvovaBelova_17March2023">{{cite Q|Q117194521|mode=cs1}}</ref><ref name="situation_2023_03_17_icc">{{Cite web |date=17 March 2023 |title=Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova |url=https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and |access-date=2023-03-18 |publisher=International Criminal Court}}</ref> for [[child abductions in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]]. Russia denounced the arrest warrants as "outrageous".<ref name="situation_2023_03_17_icc" /><ref name="putin_warrant_2023_03_18_bbc">{{Cite news |last1=Armstrong |first1=Kathryn |last2=Radford |first2=Antoinette |last3=Gardner |first3=Frank |date=2023-03-18 |title=Putin arrest warrant: Biden welcomes ICC's war crimes charges |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-64998165 |access-date=2023-03-18}}</ref> Putin became the first head of state of a [[Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council|U.N. Security Council Permanent Member]] to be the subject of an ICC arrest warrant.<ref name="issues_warrant_2023_03_17_reuters" /> Although Russia withdrew its signature from the Rome Statute in 2016, and is thus not a participant in the ICC nor under its jurisdiction, Putin can be charged for actions against Ukraine, which is not a party but has accepted jurisdiction of the court since 2014. Should Putin travel to a state party, he can be arrested by local authorities.<ref name="putin_warrant_2023_03_18_bbc" /> Later in 2023, [[Ministry of Internal Affairs (Russia)|Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs]] retaliated by placing several ICC officials on its wanted list.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chiappa |first=Claudia |date=2023-09-25 |title=Russia puts international court's top leadership on wanted list |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/russia-international-criminal-court-icc-president-piotr-hofmanski-wanted-list/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=Politico}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-25 |title=Moskau: Richter des Strafgerichtshofs auf Fahndungsliste |url=https://orf.at/stories/3332433/ |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=news.ORF.at |language=de}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-25 |title=Russia adds International Criminal Court president Hofmanski to wanted list |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/russia-adds-international-criminal-court-president-hofmanski-to-wanted-list-101695638675372.html |access-date=2023-09-25 |website=Hindustan Times}}</ref> In March 2024, the ICC issued two more arrest warrants, for [[Sergey Kobylash]], the commander of the [[Long-Range Aviation]] of the [[Russian Aerospace Forces]], and [[Viktor Sokolov (naval officer)|Viktor Sokolov]], the commander of the [[Black Sea Fleet]] over their role in war crimes in Ukraine.<ref>{{cite web | url =https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-sergei-ivanovich-kobylash-and|title=Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue arrest warrants against Sergei Ivanovich Kobylash and Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov|publisher=International Criminal Court| date=5 March 2024 | accessdate =5 March 2024 }}</ref>

On 20 May 2024, the ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced his intention to seek arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister [[Benjamin Netanyahu]], Israeli defense minister [[Yoav Gallant]], leader of Hamas [[Yahya Sinwar]], leader of the Al Qassem Brigades [[Mohammed Deif]], and Hamas political leader [[Ismail Haniyeh]] in connection to [[War crimes in the Israel-Hamas war|war crimes committed in the Israel-Hamas war]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-05-20-24/index.html|title=Live updates: Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Benny Gantz ultimatum, Netanyahu government in turmoil|first=Chris|last=Lau|date=20 May 2024|website=CNN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/statement-icc-prosecutor-karim-aa-khan-kc-applications-arrest-warrants-situation-state|title=Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine &#124; International Criminal Court|website=www.icc-cpi.int}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Berg |first=Raffi |date=20 May 2024 |title=Israel Gaza war: ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas leaders |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ggpe3qj6wo |website=BBC News}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2024/may/20/iran-helicopter-crash-live-updates-ebrahim-raisi-iranian-president-search-and-rescue-middle-east-crisis-latest-news|title=ICC chief prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas leader over alleged war crimes – live updates|work=The Guardian|date=20 May 2024 |last1=Belam |first1=Martin |last2=Bayer |first2=Lili |last3=Livingstone |first3=Helen }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-21 |title=Top war-crimes court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others in Israel-Hamas fighting |url=https://apnews.com/article/icc-israel-hamas-warrants-netanyahu-palestinian-arrest-73c854d072e0a1a41b19b2cb2cdd07fa |access-date=2024-11-22 |website=AP News}}</ref> On November 21, warrants were formally issued for Netanyahu, Gallant and Deif.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly2exvx944o |title=Arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander over alleged war crimes |author=David Gritten |date=2024-11-22 |publisher=BBC }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://apnews.com/article/icc-israel-hamas-warrants-netanyahu-palestinian-arrest-73c854d072e0a1a41b19b2cb2cdd07fa |title=Top war-crimes court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas officials |author=Molly Quell |date=2024-11-22 |publisher=AP }}</ref> Warrants for Haniyeh and Sinwar were withdrawn following confirmation of their deaths in July and October respectively.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/21/world/middleeast/hamas-leaders-icc-arrest-warrant.html |title=I.C.C. Prosecutor Sought Warrants for 3 Hamas Leaders. At Least 2 Are Now Dead |author=Cassandra Vinograd |date=2024-11-21 |work=New York Times }}</ref>

On 23 January 2025, the ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced requests for arrest warrants against Taliban leader [[Haibatullah Akhundzada]] and the [[Chief Justice of Afghanistan|chief justice of Afghanistan]] [[Abdul Hakim Haqqani]], for crimes against humanity of the oppression and persecution of Afghan women and girls, who have been deprived of the freedom of movement, the rights to control their bodies, to education, and to a private and family life. Alleged resistance and opposition are brutally suppressed with murder, imprisonment, torture, rape, and other forms of sexual violence, since 2021.<ref name="Taliban_warrent">{{Cite news |title=Internationaler Strafgerichtshof beantragt Haftbefehl gegen Taliban-Anführer |trans-title=International Criminal Court requests arrest warrant against Taliban leaders |url=https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/afghanistan-internationaler-strafgerichtshof-beantragt-haftbefehl-gegen-taliban-anfuehrer-a-c79606bd-0a95-4b5b-b9db-d6cd1e8481df |newspaper=[[Der Spiegel]]  |language=de |location=The Hague, Netjherlands |date=21 January 2025 |access-date=21 January 2025 }}</ref>

=== Establishing the court's jurisdiction ===
The process to establish the court's jurisdiction may be "triggered" by any one of three possible sources: (1) a state party, (2) the Security Council or (3) a prosecutor. It is then up to the prosecutor acting [[motu proprio|''proprio motu'']] to initiate an investigation under the requirements of [[:wikisource:Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court#Article 15: Prosecutor|Article 15 of the Rome Statute]]. The procedure is slightly different when referred by a state party or the Security Council, in which cases the prosecutor does not need authorization of the Pre-Trial Chamber to initiate the investigation. Where there is a reasonable basis to proceed, it is mandatory for the prosecutor to initiate an investigation. The factors listed in Article 53 considered for reasonable basis include whether the case would be admissible, and whether there are substantial reasons to believe that an investigation would not serve the interests of justice (the latter stipulates balancing against the gravity of the crime and the interests of the victims).{{Sfn|Schabas|2011}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Moffett |first=Luke |title=Justice for victims before the International Criminal Court |date=2016 |publisher=Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group |isbn=978-0-415-72239-1 |series=Routledge research in international law |location=London New York}}</ref>