ICC: Germany and other states criticize US sanctions against the criminal court

The foreign ministers of Germany and seven other countries have thrown their support behind the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the announcement of new US sanctions.

In a joint statement, ministers from Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Canada and Japan reiterated their full support for the independence and integrity of the court. They expressed regret over and firmly rejected the punitive measures announced by the USA against the ICC.

If these sanctions come into force, they would have a significant impact on the work of the court, its employees and their families, the statement said. Staff worked every day to bring those responsible for the most serious international crimes to justice and to support their victims.

The US government had previously announced plans to expand sanctions against the ICC. US President Donald Trump will never allow the court to persecute US citizens, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. "We expect our allies, many of whom are members of the ICC and rely on US soldiers for their defense, to rein in the court," he added.

The announcement came just hours after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African lawyer Navi Pillay. Pillay was a judge at the court from 2003 to 2008. The award comes at a time when international law is coming under increasing pressure, Pillay said in a first statement after her award. “This deteriorating development is particularly evident in the attacks on the International Criminal Court,” said the lawyer.