Abstract: The subject of this research is the legal issues associated with countries’ secession from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Special attention is given to the analysis of decision of the Russian Federation adopted on November 16, 2016 not to become a party to such international agreement. The task of this work consists in determination of the formal and actual motives of the made decision, legal obligations of Russia in the period between ratification and abrogation under the Statute of International Criminal Court, as well as legal consequences of such decision. Due to the fact that the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation indicates the motives of the adopted decision, the article makes an attempt to identify these motives using the method of analysis, primarily of practice of the International Criminal Court with regards to the sitututations that directly affect the national interests of Russia. The article is first within the national scientific literature to suggest a comprehensive answer to the question about Russia’s motives for not becoming a party to the Statute of the Rome International Criminal Court. The author highlights the four groups of motives: socio-philosophical; fundamental legal; general causes associated with the activity of the International Criminal Court; and reasons associated with the situations that have direct application to the Russian Federation. Analysis of the indicated motives demonstrates that the adopted decision to withdraw from the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court fully and justifiably meets the national interests of the Russian Federation.