Internationales Recht: USA verhängen Sanktionen gegen Weltstrafgericht
Schon lange hat US-Präsident Trump den Internationalen Strafgerichtshof im Visier. Nun verhängt er weitere Sanktionen – nur wenige Stunden nach der Verleihung des Nobelpreises an eine Ex-Richterin.
The United States has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), banning transactions with the tribunal, cutting its resources, and limiting its ability to act, according to the US Department of State. Previously, the US had targeted individual judges and prosecutors at the Hague-based court. The announcement came just hours after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African jurist Navanethem Pillay, who served as a judge at the court from 2003 to 2008.
Pillay made her first statement upon receiving the award, noting that the worsening situation in international law was clearly evident in the attacks on the ICC. These new punitive measures were not unexpected, as the US had previously threatened them. In September, US President Donald Trump called on states to abandon the court, to which Germany, the Netherlands, and other EU states pledged full support.
The EU Commission expressed concern over the US approach and pledged to continue cooperation with the court to ensure its effectiveness, but hoped for a dialogue as the sanctions would only take effect after a six-month delay, according to the commission. The ICC condemned the US actions, calling it an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of international law that undermines the principle that no one is above the law.
The US had already sanctioned 13 judges and prosecutors, attempting to "hamper the course of justice," said the court. The court's actions included issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegations of war crimes in Gaza. The court has 125 member states and has prosecuted war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide since 2002.
The US, along with China, Israel, and Russia, are not members. The US justified its unprecedented move by stating that they neither need nor want the court, having never joined it and repeatedly opposing the idea of US citizens, military personnel, or political leaders being prosecuted by the ICC.
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