US imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court
US President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The US move comes just hours after a former ICC judge was awarded the Nobel Prize.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has strongly condemned the US move, calling it an “attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal order” and has urged its 125 member states to come forward to defend the court.
A statement issued by the court said, “The court cannot stand alone. Its fate now lies in the hands of the states that established it. This is not just about defending an institution, but about safeguarding the international order based on the rule of law.”
The Trump administration has long been hostile to the court, which was established in 2002 to try war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, and has previously imposed sanctions on its prosecutors and judges.
Announcing the sanctions on the court, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that “President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans.”
“That is why today the United States is imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cut off its resources and cripple its ability to function,” he added.
The US Treasury Department initially announced the sanctions with a six-month grace period, exempting certain items related to telecoms, software, pension payments and detainees.
Marco Rubio said the sanctions were designed to give the court and its member states a chance to address US demands and would be reversed if those demands were not met.
The US has strongly condemned the ICC for issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials and for investigating the actions of US troops in Afghanistan in the past.
It should be noted that in the past, the court has received strong support from its member states, including all European Union countries and all members of the NATO alliance, except the United States and Turkey. The ICC headquarters is also located in the Netherlands, a member of the European Union and NATO.
It should be noted that these sanctions came hours after South African jurist Navi Pillay, who served on the ICC Appeals Chamber from 2003 to 2008, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The awarding committee called it a clear signal of support for international tribunals at a time when “political attacks are being made on international law institutions and judges.”
