(ICC) International Criminal Court

The ICC is a permanent international tribunal created to prosecute individuals for serious crimes of international concern, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.

The ICC has jurisdiction over individuals and can prosecute people regardless of their nationality, including state leaders and military officials, as long as the alleged crimes occurred in a member state or the accused is a national of a member state.

The ICC was established by the Rome Statute, which was adopted on July 17, 1998, and entered into force on July 1, 2002.

There are 123 member states that are parties to the Rome Statute. Non-member states, including some major countries, are not subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction unless they voluntarily accept it or a case is referred by the UN Security Council.

The ICC deals with criminal prosecutions and can issue arrest warrants, conduct trials, and impose sentences, including imprisonment.