Why the US is going after the International Criminal Court
Marco Rubio, Donald Trump's secretary of state, has announced sanctions against two members of the International Criminal Court, including its president. Rubio's pressure on the court has far-reaching consequences.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has launched a fierce attack on the International Criminal Court (ICC), branding it corrupt and politically motivated. He alleges the ICC has abused its authority and overstepped its mandate. In response, Rubio has imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, freezing their US-held assets and cutting them off from the US financial system.
The ICC, based in The Hague, has been holding individuals accountable for war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity since 2002. However, the US, Russia, China, and several Asian and North African states are not members of the ICC. Rubio has threatened to dismantle the court "brick by brick" and the State Department has outlined several measures, including visa restrictions on ICC staff, tougher sanctions, and increased scrutiny of countries that refuse to reject the ICC's authority.
Legal experts say this marks a significant escalation of the US campaign against the ICC. The ICC was established in the wake of war crimes and genocides in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, marking a shift towards modern international criminal law. Legal experts argue that the US's actions could have a chilling effect, potentially discouraging ICC prosecutors and encouraging non-compliance with sanctions.
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