ICC Condemns US Sanctions as Attack on Judicial Independence
The International Criminal Court has said new US sanctions against several senior officials at the institution target its judicial independence and could undermine the rule of law at the international level.
In a statement on Wednesday, the court said the sanctions were a “blatant attack” on the independence of a neutral judicial body that operates across different regions of the world on the basis of authority delegated by member states. The court also stressed that, despite the pressure, it will continue its efforts to pursue justice.
According to the statement, nine of the court’s 18 judges, both deputy prosecutors, a former prosecutor and one staff member are now under US sanctions. The court warned that when judicial officials are threatened for carrying out the law, the international legal order is also put at risk.
The response came after the US Treasury Department announced sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court on Tuesday. The move targeted Japanese judge Tomoko Akane and Senegalese judge Abdoulaye Yaya Sye.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had previously said Washington would use all available tools and work with its allies to try to dismantle the International Criminal Court. He also accused the court of political bias.
Tensions between the United States and the International Criminal Court have a years-long history. The dispute intensified during Donald Trump’s first presidency, when the court moved to examine allegations of war crimes by US forces in Afghanistan and faced a sharp reaction from Washington.
