Czech Republic moves towards recognising the International Criminal Court

The Czech Republic came one step closer to recognising the International Criminal Court on Wednesday, when Senators voted to acknowledge the treaty on which the court was founded. The Czech Republic is the only EU state not to recognise the international court, which handles serious crimes against humanity and war crimes. The ruling Civic Democrats, who have a majority in the Senate, previously blocked approval of the treaty that gave rise to the International Criminal Court. But critics such as Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg argued that continued opposition was undermining the Czech Republic’s international reputation. On Wednesday, Senators voted 60 to 10 to recognise the 1998 treaty. The proposal will now return to the lower house for a second vote.