Russia says it is withdrawing its signature from the founding statute of the International Criminal Court.<br /><br /> Moscow signed the Statute of Rome in 2000 but never ratified it.<br /><br /> Officials are quoted as saying the Hague-based tribunal is not “truly independent” and has not lived up the hopes of the international community.<br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> #UPDATE Russia is formally withdrawing its signature from the founding statute of the International Criminal Court https://t.co/kgp5KqBHvx— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 16, 2016<br /> <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> The court was set up to try those suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity.<br /><br /> “President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree outlining Russia’s intention to not be a member state of the Statute of Rome which established the International Criminal Court,” said Russia’s Foreign Ministry in a statement.<br /><br /> “We were never members of the ICC,” a Ministry official told the AFP agency. “we signed the Statute but have never ratified it. We are withdrawing our signature so the obligations linked to that will henceforth be withdrawn.”<br /><br /> Three African countries – Gambia, South Africa and Burundi – have recently announced their intention to withdraw from the ICC.<br /><br /> The US and China have never been members.<br />
