The vote on Thursday was 417 in favor, 22 against, and 3 abstentions, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
The measure now goes to the Senate, Poland’s upper house, for review.
Once in force, the agreement would let Poland enforce ICC prison terms regardless of the prisoner’s nationality, including people who are not Polish citizens and do not live in Poland.
The text sets out practical arrangements, including how to present a prisoner to the ICC, what to do if a prisoner escapes, and how to remove a person from Poland after they have served a sentence.
It also creates a two-stage consent system for accepting prisoners, which would allow Poland to refuse if enforcement conflicts with domestic law or threatens national security.
The International Criminal Court, often called the Hague Tribunal, is a permanent court that prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest international crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and others.
It is an institution separate from the International Court of Justice, which resolves disputes between states.
Poland previously offered in 2004 to host ICC prisoners only if they were Polish citizens. That position was withdrawn on January 4, 2024, when the justice minister declared Poland ready to accept ICC-convicted prisoners regardless of citizenship.
To make that possible, a bilateral agreement was required. Poland and the ICC signed the agreement on December 3, 2024, in The Hague, and it still needs presidential ratification after parliamentary approval.
According to the government’s explanation attached to the bill, the ICC has concluded similar enforcement agreements with 15 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Georgia, Spain, Colombia, Mali, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Argentina.
The ICC is seeking more partners in regions linked to ongoing investigations. Because of the war in Ukraine, the court has approached Poland as well as Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia about such arrangements.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP