Groups sue the Trump administration over its targeting of the International Criminal Court

Human Rights Watch and three other advocacy groups have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its targeting of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The plaintiffs argue that the administration's sanctions against ICC judges and prosecutors are undermining the court's ability to prosecute individuals responsible for some of humanity's worst crimes.

The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of New York, asserts that President Donald Trump's executive order last year, along with subsequent U.S. sanctions, constitute a "blatantly illegal attack on international justice" and should be dismissed. The groups involved include the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, and the Open Society Institute.

According to Andrew Loewenstein of Foley Hoag LLP, the lead counsel for the plaintiffs, the financial and legal penalties imposed on the ICC have forced human rights and legal organizations to reduce their work, in violation of their constitutional rights.