UN says US sanctions on ICC are a blow to global justice
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the United States’ announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court as a “heavy blow to global justice,” while the UN high commissioner for human rights called them “unacceptable.”
At the same time, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Britain said they would support the International Criminal Court in the face of Washington’s move.
The reactions came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Donald Trump administration had imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Rubio claimed Trump would not allow the court to prosecute US citizens.
The US secretary of state said the sanctions would prohibit any dealings with the court, target its funding and reduce its ability to act against the United States. He also called on Washington’s allies, including ICC member states that he said rely on the US for protection, to act to “contain” the court, warning that if it is not contained, the US will continue its efforts to dismantle it.
In response, Nazhat Shameem Khan, deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, condemned the US sanctions and said they would not prevent the court from continuing its work. Speaking to Reuters in The Hague, she said: “These sanctions have been imposed with the aim of undermining the rule of law at the international level and the work of an independent judicial body,” adding: “Our work will continue in all cases, investigations and prosecutions.”
According to Al Mayadeen, US pressure on the International Criminal Court has increased following the court’s investigations into international crimes, including cases related to Washington and the Israeli regime.
