The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected Mongolia’s bid to appeal a decision that found Ulaanbaatar in breach of its obligations for failing to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit in September.
Pre-trial judges ruled on Friday that Mongolia’s request for leave to appeal, as well as its attempts to disqualify two judges and freeze further decisions, lacked legal grounds.
“The Chamber rejects Mongolia’s request for leave to appeal,” the judges stated, adding that the decision to refer Mongolia’s actions to the ICC’s oversight body, the Assembly of States Parties (ASP), could not be contested.
The ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March 2023, accusing him of the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Despite being a member state of the ICC, Mongolia allowed Putin to visit in early September without executing the warrant.
In late October, the ICC determined that Mongolia had failed to meet its obligations and referred the matter to the ASP for further action.
Mongolia subsequently sought leave to appeal and requested the disqualification of two judges involved in the decision.
However, the court dismissed both motions.
The Assembly of States Parties is now expected to deliberate on Mongolia’s non-compliance.
