Statement by representative of the Russian Federation Mr.Sergey Leonidchenko at UNSC Arria-formula meeting "25th Anniversary of the Rome Statute"
Mme.Co-Chair,
This is the third time in the past six weeks that Security Council members discuss the so-called International Criminal Court (ICC). A year ago, we also had an Arria meeting dedicated to some other anniversary of that institution.
The question arises: on what grounds is the ICC taking up so much of UNSC members' time? Has it successfully delivered on the tasks that the Security Council had assigned to it? No, it has not. Has it achieved anything in prosecuting for the gravest of crimes under international law? No, it has not. There is a feeling that Council members are being drawn into an advertising campaign of this corrupt institution.
Shortly, we considered another bogus report of the ICC on Darfur, where one process in 17 years was presented as a resounding success. Sudan is sliding into conflict. And that is perhaps the best illustration of the ICC's real contribution to sustainable peace. Then there is Libya, where the statehood was ruined back in 2011 under direct participation of the ICC and its fake stories about M.Gaddafi. This was the “fig leaf” to cover up NATO's military aggression against that country. The real perpetrators from among the NATO military enjoy complete impunity, just like the officials and judges of the ICC who fabricated false charges against the Libyan leader. Having fulfilled the task of its Western masters, the ICC has moved on to a sluggish imitation of work on both Sudan and Libya.
We have seen the ICC in action in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya. The ICC can be proud of itself: not a single NATO soldier has been held accountable for their crimes, let alone the commanders or the leadership of the countries of this "purely defensive Alliance".
It is essential to get a grasp on the achievements of the Court. We have already drawn the Council's attention to the fact that during its existence the ICC has indicted 52 individuals, 47 of whom were Africans. That is an interesting statistic, especially if we recall the fact that the most massive and deadly atrocities in modern history have been committed by Western states.
After these statistics, it is clear why Western countries are the ones voicing the loudest enthusiasm about the ICC. However, this does not prevent them from imposing sanctions against the ICC judges and prosecutor or adopting legislation that allows the use of force to release their military officers.
Using this "carrot and stick" tactic, the West has achieved its goal of making the ICC an instrument of its policy.
Let me give you a recent example. As soon as the President of Uganda spoke out against the colonial policy of the West, which imposes its neoliberal values on everyone, and started a dust-up with the United States, the ICC immediately interfered making allegations of the use of torture in Uganda.
I would like to ask the ICC - what about the secret CIA torture prisons scattered throughout European countries, which, by the way, are parties to the Rome Statute? Or is that “something different" again?
One last thing. I would like to ask a question to those who promoted the shameful activities of the ICC on Ukraine today.
If the Kiev regime supports the ICC, why has Ukraine not joined the Rome Statute? Why did O.Turchynov, the "Maidan leader", have to submit a written communication to invoke the jurisdiction of the Court, which stated directly that the jurisdiction of the ICC was recognized for the purposes of bringing Russian citizens to justice? This statement was absurd from the legal point of view, but it was quite indicative. It proves that the top echelons in Kiev fear accountability for their atrocities, and rightly so.
After the deadly Maidan coup that was orchestrated by the United States and the EU (and the level of violence there was much higher than in Darfur in 2005), the nationalists who came to power launched a large-scale campaign to exterminate the population of Donbas. All of this began in 2014 – long before the Russian special military operation – and continues to this day, now using Western weapons, intelligence and even direct orders. Kiev realizes that it will be held accountable for the mass war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Ukrainian armed forces and nationalist battalions.
Today, the Kiev regime enjoys impunity because, like a "trained poodle," it performs all the tricks that the United States demands of it: kills its people by sending them on senseless attacks in order to regain territories whose inhabitants have chosen Russia and do not want to return under Kiev's rule.
The Kiev regime is right to be afraid. History tells us that when the "bad guys" are no longer needed, the hegemon sacks them via "Western-style" justice. Noriega, Hussein and Gaddafi would vouch for that.
The "trained poodle" is of interest as long as it is able to jump through the American hoop. As soon as it fails to clear a height, it will be readily sent to the ICC and replaced by a new favorite who would take on as a tool for implementing the hegemon’s plans.
The overall picture is sad. A really good idea of a truly universal international tribunal has failed. Apparently, we have gathered here for a funeral of our hopes for fair international justice.
Thank you.
