ICC condemns Trump's sanctions: We will continue to deliver justice around the world

(Patria) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) yesterday condemned the decision of US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on its staff.

Trump on Thursday approved financial and visa sanctions targeting people working on ICC investigations against US citizens or US allies such as Israel, repeating moves he made during his first term.

The move was a protest against the court's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and came as the Israeli leader was visiting Washington.

The ICC said the order would undermine its judicial work and called on its 125 member states to "unite" for justice and human rights.

- The Court stands firmly by its staff and pledges to continue to deliver justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of crime around the world, in all situations before it - the ICC stated.

The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves.

It can prosecute crimes committed by nationals of member states or other perpetrators on the territory of member states.

Under the Rome Statute, the 124 countries that have ratified it commit to handing over any person for whom an arrest warrant has been issued. However, it is difficult to enforce without inter-state cooperation.

- Only with a radical change of government, for example in Russia and Israel, could Netanyahu or Putin be arrested there. But such things can change in just a week.

It happened to Slobodan Milošević. He was the President of Yugoslavia and a negotiating partner in Dayton, and then he was arrested for crimes against humanity and genocide - says Gerry Simpson, Professor of International Law at the London School of Economics.

Russia signed the Rome Statute in 2000 but withdrew in 2016 after the court classified the annexation of Crimea as an armed conflict.

The US, China, Israel, Iran, and Turkey are among the countries that do not recognize the ICC and are therefore not obliged to hand over accused persons, but Trump's sanctions are a direct attack on its work.

- This executive order puts the US on the side of war criminals, at the expense of victims of serious crimes seeking justice - said war crimes prosecutor Reed Brody.

He also points out that the US position is particularly hypocritical given that Republicans applauded when an arrest warrant was issued for Vladimir Putin.

A particular thorn in the side of the court's opponents is prosecutor Karim Khan. He recently also requested the arrest of Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and his chief justice Haqqani for the persecution of Afghan girls and women.

- This continuous persecution involves depriving victims of their right to physical integrity and autonomy, freedom of movement and expression, education, private and family life - said Chief Hague Prosecutor Karim Khan.

During Trump's first administration in 2020, Washington imposed sanctions on the then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and one of her senior associates over the ICC's investigation into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.

Despite the latest sanctions, the Hague court says it will continue to deliver "justice and hope" around the world.