Niger has formally submitted its request to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), nine months after announcing its intention to leave the global judicial body.
The ICC confirmed that it received Niger’s “instrument of withdrawal” on June 18. According to the court, the withdrawal will take effect one year after the notification date, during which Niger remains bound by its obligations under the Rome Statute.
In September 2025, Niger, alongside fellow military-led Sahel states Mali and Burkina Faso, declared that they would no longer recognise the authority of the ICC, describing the court as an “instrument of neo-colonialist repression.” The three countries said they planned to establish indigenous mechanisms aimed at promoting peace and justice within their territories.
The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands, was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.
Niger will become the third country to leave the ICC, following the exits of Burundi and the Philippines.
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