US imposes fresh sanctions on ICC

The United States imposed fresh sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, October 9, just hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay received the Nobel Peace Prize. The move has heightened diplomatic tensions between Washington and its European allies, Reuters reported.

The ICC strongly condemned the sanctions, describing them as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal system. It also called on its 125 member states to take necessary measures to protect the court.

“The ICC cannot stand alone,” the court said in a statement, adding that its future also depended on the states that established it. It said the issue was not merely about protecting an institution but safeguarding an international order based on the rule of law.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Donald Trump would never allow the ICC to prosecute Americans, announcing the sanctions as part of Washington’s response.

The US would prohibit transactions with the court, block its assets and resources, and cripple its ability to operate, Rubio said in a statement published by Reuters.

The US Treasury Department announced the sanctions with an initial six-month exemption period and certain exceptions. Temporary exemptions will cover telecommunications, software, pension payments and transactions involving prisoners.

Rubio said the framework was designed to give the ICC and its member states an opportunity to address Washington’s concerns. However, he warned that the measures could be tightened if those concerns were not addressed.

Washington has repeatedly criticised the ICC over its arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and its previous investigation into the conduct of US troops in Afghanistan. The court has said the Afghanistan investigation is currently a lower priority.

ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan told Reuters that the sanctions were intended to disrupt the rule of law internationally and undermine the work of an independent judicial institution.

She said the court’s work, including its investigations and judicial proceedings, would continue as usual.