Vladimir Putin has signed an order to have Russia withdrawn from the International Criminal Court (ICC) amid calls for his military to be referred over air strikes backing President Bashar al-Assad in Syria.

According to a government document, Mr. Putin ordered the Foreign Ministry to inform the General Secretary of the United Nations that it was no longer a party to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

Russia had signed in 2000 the Rome Statute of the ICC, which was established to prosecute war crimes.

The withdrawal would also release Russia from any obligations in Syria, where the U.K. has asked for a probe of alleged war crimes carried out during Russia’s bombing campaign in support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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