International Criminal Court (ICC) condemns US sanctions and vows to continue 'providing justice'
Source: BBC
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has vowed to continue its judicial work after US President Donald Trump signed an order to impose sanctions on its staff. The ICC said it "stands firmly" by its personnel and the order seeks to harm its "independent and impartial" work. Trump's order accuses it of "illegitimate and baseless actions", after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza, which Israel denies. The ICC also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander.
The ICC is a global court, although the US and Israel are not members, with the power to bring prosecutions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. In its statement, it said: "The ICC condemns the issuance by the US of an executive order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work. "The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all situations before it," it added.
In recent years, it has also issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine, Taliban leaders for "persecuting Afghan girls and women" and Myanmar's military leader for crimes against the Rohingya Muslims. The US and Israel are not members of the court but more than 120 countries are, including the UK and many European nations. Trump signed the measure as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was visiting Washington. The sanctions place financial and visa restrictions on individuals and their families who assist in ICC investigations of American citizens or allies.
Judges at the court said there were "reasonable grounds" that Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif of Hamas bore "criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. Deif's death in an Israeli airstrike last year has since been confirmed by Hamas. Reacting to Trump's order, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said on X that the ICC "must be able to freely pursue the fight against global impunity". "Europe will always stand for justice and the respect of international law," she said. The Netherlands, which hosts the court, said it "regrets" Trump's order. "The court's work is essential in the fight against impunity," Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said on X.
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Special Prosecutor Jack Smith during his successful assignment at the ICC.
