The Trump administration imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court on Friday, hours after one of its former judges won the Nobel Peace Prize, putting Washington on a diplomatic collision course with European allies.
The International Criminal Court
The sanctions are “an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the Court from doing what it was created to do. It is an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order which strikes at the simple principle that no one stands above the law.
“The designation is aimed at disrupting the Court’s operations and at intimidating those who work for or cooperate with the Court. The Court, for its part, will not be deterred. … Yet the Court cannot stand alone. Its fate now rests also in the hands of the States that created it.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
“I commend President @realDonaldTrump and @SecRubio for taking this critical decision to sanction the ICC. The ICC is not a court. It is a political body that poses a mortal threat to law abiding democracies worldwide and to the very idea of national sovereignty,” Netanyahu wrote on X. “Thank you for your leadership.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres:
“The Secretary-General condemns the announcement of the imposition by the United States of sanctions against the International Criminal Court as an institution,” according to a statement read by U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric during a press briefing. “Today’s decision marks a serious blow to our collective pursuit of international criminal justice, of which the ICC is a key pillar,” he added.
European Commission:
“It is deeply regrettable that the United States has announced intentions to impose sanctions. … The EU stands ready to take any necessary measures to enable the Court to carry out its work both in investigating and prosecuting war crimes and crimes against humanity, and to protect the interests of EU operators within the Single Market.”
Tom Berendsen, Foreign Minister of The Netherlands, which hosts the ICC:
“This is a deeply regrettable step. We will stand firm in defence of the Court. At the same time, it’s important to note that the sanctions will not take effect immediately and that service providers can continue to work for the ICC. The six-month period before the sanctions take effect creates scope for dialogue.”
The Foreign Ministers of Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Britain in joint statement:
“As committed supporters of the ICC we regret and strongly disagree with the announcement of sanctions to be imposed upon the Court by the United States. … If put into effect, these sanctions will have a significant impact on the Court’s work, its dedicated staff and their families … We remain both united in our support for the ICC and committed to engaging in constructive and inclusive dialogue with non-States Parties.”
Spanish Foreign Ministry in statement:
“Spain deplores the new U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court and reaffirms its strong support for the Court and its work in combating impunity, defending victims, and upholding the rules-based multilateral order.”
US Democratic Senator and top member of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jeanne Shaheen:
“Unfortunate and short-sighted. Instead of lowering prices for Americans, the Trump Administration is further isolating the U.S. and making it harder to bring perpetrators of atrocities to justice for victims in places like Ukraine and Darfur.”
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot:
“At Belgium’s initiative, support for the ICC will be discussed with my EU foreign affairs colleagues on Monday and at the forthcoming European Council. We will press for concrete protection. The Court’s independence cannot depend on whom it investigates.
“Europe must act. Belgium is calling for the activation of the EU Blocking Statute to protect the Court.”
German Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig:
“Historically, hardly any country has done more for international criminal law than the USA. For it was the United States that, after the Second World War, championed the cause of bringing the principal perpetrators of the Nazi regime to trial in Nuremberg – and thereby laid the foundations for international criminal law. It is utterly staggering that the US, of all countries, is now setting out to destroy this idea once and for all.”
Philippe Bolopion, Executive Director at Human Rights Watch:
“The Trump administration has made clear its aim to destroy the ICC to shield US and Israeli officials from facing charges before the court. The ICC was created to ensure that no one, no matter how powerful, is above the law. Governments that value human rights and accountability should condemn this outrageous move and take swift action to protect the ICC, its staff, and all those who cooperate with it, starting with the European Union using its laws to mitigate the sanctions’ impact in the region.”
James A. Goldston, Executive Director at Open Society Justice Initiative:
This “is a calculated attack on the rule of law and the principles of judicial independence and equality that underpin it. This is the latest move in a campaign of coercion intended to destroy the system of international justice.”
REUTERS
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