On July 24, 2026, the interim government of Venezuela formally notified the United Nations that the country would withdraw from the Rome Statute, marking a decisive exit from the International Criminal Court.
Formal Withdrawal and the Washington Backing
The formal notice of withdrawal was delivered to the United Nations by the government of interim President Delcy Rodríguez on July 24, 2026. While the decision was initially announced by Venezuelan authorities in 2025 and reiterated in July 2026, the official registration Amnesty on August 6. The withdrawal will take effect one year from notification, on July 24, 2027.
Rodríguez’s administration justified the departure by accusing the tribunal of political bias. Almost immediately, the decision received immediate support from the Trump administration, which has actively campaigned to dismantle the court. Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticized the institution calling the ICC corrupt and worthless and urging other member states to withdraw. Following Venezuela’s announcement, Chad revealed plans to leave, joining Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger in separate withdrawal processes.
Years of Documentation and the Search for Accountability
The International Criminal Court first began examining alleged crimes in Venezuela in February 2018 before opening a formal investigation on November 3, 2021. That inquiry centered on crimes against humanity, including deprivation of physical liberty, torture, sexual violence, and politically motivated persecution committed since at least April 2017.
Civil society organizations spent more than a decade compiling evidence. Rodrigo Diamanti, president of the human rights organization Un Mundo Sin Mordaza, noted that more than 8,000 victims participated in one stage of the proceedings—an unprecedented level of engagement achieved despite considerable personal risk.
“Victims risked their freedom by giving these testimonies. And after all of that, right now, we haven’t seen any results from the ICC.”
Rodrigo Diamanti, president of Un Mundo Sin Mordaza
Systemic Repression and the Findings of the Fact-Finding Mission
The lack of domestic accountability was heavily detailed by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In its reports, the Mission documented how the Venezuelan justice system aided state repression. Investigators analyzed 183 detentions of real or perceived government opponents between 2014 and August 2021, uncovering procedural irregularities across all stages of criminal proceedings.
Judges routinely allowed evidence obtained through torture and failed to protect victims, according to the UN findings. Mission investigator Francisco Cox Vial highlighted severe pretrial detention practices, noting that pretrial detention was ordered in 146 out of 170 cases reviewed involving initial appearances, with 47 percent of those detentions lasting more than two years.
“Based on the investigations and the analysis conducted, the Mission has reasonable grounds to believe that instead of providing protection to victims of human rights violations and crimes, the Venezuelan justice system has played a significant role in the State’s repression of Governmental crimes.”
Marta Valiñas, Chairperson of the UN Fact-Finding Mission
Controversy Surrounding Prosecutor Karim Khan
Frustration among victims intensified due to conflicts surrounding ICC prosecutor Karim Khan. Appeals judges previously ordered Khan to step away from the Venezuela investigation after discovering that his sister-in-law, attorney Venkateswari Alagendra, served on the legal team representing the Venezuelan government.
Advocates criticized Khan’s approach of cooperating with the Maduro government while it remained under active investigation. Khan was subsequently removed as ICC prosecutor in July 2026 following a separate misconduct investigation involving allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied. US officials used these leadership controversies to bolster arguments against the court’s effectiveness, contrasting the ICC’s lack of public warrants with the prosecution of Nicolás Maduro in a US court on drug-trafficking and weapons charges.
Active Avenues and the Outlook for Justice
International organizations emphasize that the formal withdrawal does not erase prior jurisdiction. Ana Piquer, Amnesty International’s Americas Director, underscored that withdrawing from the Rome Statute in no way affects the ongoing criminal investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor into crimes against humanity committed prior to the decision, nor any events occurring before July 24, 2027.
Human rights advocates stress that alternative legal pathways remain open. Investigations by the Office of the Prosecutor, the UN Fact-Finding Mission, and independent cases prosecuted under the principle of universal jurisdiction continue to operate outside Venezuela. With the formal withdrawal process underway, human rights groups argue that the upcoming renewal of the Fact-Finding Mission’s mandate during the UN Human Rights Council session in September and October is more critical than ever to maintain international pressure.
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