Russia should have its own ‘Hague Invasion Law’ – top lawmaker — RT Russia and the former Soviet Union
Moscow should have the right to take all necessary measures to protect Russian citizens, says State Duma speaker
Russia needs legislation that would give carte blanche to its president to defend the country’s citizens in case international structures, such as the International Criminal Court (ICC), make decisions contrary to the country’s constitution, said State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin on Saturday. He cited US law as an example.
The United States passed the American Service-Members’ Protection Act in 2002 – dubbed “The Hague Invasion Act.” The legislation was designed to protect US military personnel as well as elected and appointed officials from prosecution by international criminal tribunals, to which Washington is not a party.
The law authorizes the American president to use “all necessary and appropriate means to secure the release of any U.S. or allied personnel” detained or imprisoned on behalf of the ICC, since the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute regulating its activities. Authorization implies potential military action, leading to the act’s informal name.
According to Volodin, Russia must move in the same direction. The head of the lower house suggested further strengthening national legislation by outright banning any ICC activity on Russian territory and introducing criminal liability for aiding or supporting the activities of the international body.
Moscow should also sign bilateral treaties with “friendly nations” this would imply a reciprocal waiver of any cooperation with the court, Volodin suggested. He also believes that the Commander-in-Chief of Russia, i.e. the President, should have the right to take “any action to protect our citizens” in case international bodies take decisions against them that violate the Russian constitution.
Russia signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC in 2000, but never ratified it.
Volodin’s statements come a week after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova based on a referral of a number of NATO countries. They were accused of “forced population transfer” in reference to the evacuation of thousands of children from the combat zone in the former Ukrainian regions who voted last September to join Russia.
Ukraine and its allies have refused to recognize the votes and insist the territories are occupied by Moscow. Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov meanwhile confirmed that the ICC is not recognized in Russia, which means the warrants are “null and void from a legal point of view.”
Following the issuance of the warrants, former US national security adviser John Bolton also lambasted the ICC as ‘Fundamentally illegitimate’ institution exercising governmental power without any constitutional framework to restrain it.
You can share this story on social media:
RT
