Third Country to Exit International Court

Niger has formally left the International Criminal Court, accusing the judicial body in the Hague of selective justice. The west African country submitted a letter to the United Nations on Monday, triggering the withdrawal process from the court's foundational treaty, the Rome Statute, per the AP. "While the court had raised great hopes among peoples who cherish peace and justice, it has been misused and exploited," the letter said. Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso announced last year that they would leave the court. Niger's departure will make it the third country to leave the ICC after the Philippines and Burundi.

A coup ousted Niger's democratically elected government in 2023. Since then a military junta has abandoned longtime partners and has formed new alliances instead, including with Russia, where President Vladimir Putin faces an arrest warrant by the ICC over the war in Ukraine. Mali and Burkina Faso have undergone similar transformations. The ICC expressed disappointment at the departure. "We regret any decision to depart from the collective effort to end impunity for the most serious international crimes," the court said in a statement. Niger's withdrawal will become effective 12 months after the receipt of the letter, but any crimes that occur before it officially leaves remain subject to the court's jurisdiction.