[JURIST] Burundi’s vote last week to leave the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] elicited concern [statement] from The Hague on Tuesday. President of the ICC’s governing body Sidiki Kaba stated that such a withdrawal “represent[s] a setback in the fight against impunity and the efforts towards the objective of universality of the Statute.” The Burundi parliament’s vote [JURIST report] to withdraw from the Rome Statute [text, PDF], the treaty establishing the court would make it the first country to leave the ICC.

Earlier this month, Vice President Gaston Sindimwo of Burundi announced [JURIST report] the country’s decision to withdraw from the ICC, stating that his government is “ready to face the consequences.” The UN Independent Investigation in Burundi (UNIIB) in September stated [JURIST report] their grave concern about the current human rights situation in Burundi. Three human rights experts from UNIIB in June echoed previous calls for a stop to violence [JURIST report] after their second visit to the country.