Malawi withdraws ICC judicial candidate Tujilane Chizumila

Malawi has pulled its candidate out of the race for a seat on the International Criminal Court, leaving the country without a contender in the court’s ninth election of judges.

The Embassy of the Republic of Malawi announced the withdrawal of the candidacy of Ms Tujilane  Chizumila in a communication dated 20 October 2026.

The Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, the ICC’s governing body, recorded the move in an addendum to its official documents, published the same day.

The Government of Malawi had nominated Ms Chizumila in a communication dated 27 March 2026.

The notice does not give a reason for the withdrawal.

The election will take place during the court’s twenty-fifth session of the Assembly of States Parties, which runs in New York from 7 to 17 December 2026.

Judges of the ICC are chosen by the member states from a list of candidates and serve for nine years.

The court, based in The Hague, is the world’s permanent tribunal for prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.