US Imposes Sanctions on International Criminal Court, Drawing UN Condemnation
US Imposes Sanctions on International Criminal Court, Drawing UN Condemnation
———————————————–
The United States imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on October 9, escalating tensions over the tribunal’s investigations involving US personnel and Israeli officials.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures would restrict transactions with the court and cut off resources that Washington claims threaten American sovereignty. He warned that the United States would continue its campaign against the ICC unless it ended its actions and allies helped rein it in.
The ICC condemned the sanctions as an “assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order,” saying they aimed to disrupt its operations and intimidate its staff and partners. Court President Tomoko Akane pledged to continue its work independently and impartially.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also condemned the move, warning that it could undermine the court’s ability to fulfil its mandate and weaken international criminal justice. UN human rights experts urged governments to defend the tribunal’s independence.
The latest measures follow earlier US sanctions against 13 ICC judges and prosecutors. The court, established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, faces growing pressure over investigations involving alleged crimes in Gaza. Israel has rejected the allegations against its officials.
