US Hits International Criminal Court with Sweeping Sanctions as Part of Drive to Dismantle Tribunal
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has imposed sweeping new sanctions on the International Criminal Court as part of its campaign to dismantle the tribunal over investigations into the United States and its allies, including Israel.
The United States has imposed extensive sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) as part of its strategy to dismantle the tribunal in response to investigations affecting the U.S. and its allies, including Israel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions on Friday, following the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a former judge at the ICC and other international courts.
These sanctions prohibit transactions with the rogue court, stripping it of U.S.-based financial services, technology companies, and the use of U.S. dollars. The U.S. has given these entities a six-month window to cease operations with the court. The ICC responded by denouncing the move as an attack on the rule of law and international order, asserting its commitment to independence and impartiality.
The ICC President, Tomoko Akane, a citizen of Japan, called for continued support from ICC members, emphasizing that the court's mandate should be upheld. Amnesty International's Erika Guevara Rosas urged states to resist the U.S. measures and protect the court. The Netherlands, the ICC's host country, has been preparing for the sanctions and considers the EU blocking statute as a potential defense mechanism.
An international coalition of 7 countries, including Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the UK, expressed strong disagreement with the U.S. sanctions, vowing to continue supporting the court's work and uphold the rules-based international system. The sanctions are expected to significantly impact the court's operations, staff, and their families, as they work to bring those accused of grave international crimes to justice and support their victims.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
