Burundi’s lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly voted in support of a withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The move comes shortly after the United Nations launched a probe into the country’s alleged systematic human rights abuses in an ongoing crackdown on a protest movement that began 18 months ago. No country has ever withdrawn from the ICC.
Ninety-four out of 110 legislators voted in favour of the draft law on Wednesday, two were against it and 14 abstained. The legislation now has to be approved by the senate – also dominated by the ruling party – before being passed into law by President Pierre Nkurunziza.
Burundi has been plagued by violence since April 2015, when Nkurunziza sought a third term despite protests by those who called the move unconstitutional. Hundreds of people have been killed in the unrest.
