US sanctions: USA imposes far-reaching sanctions against the International Criminal Court

With the punitive measures, Washington is heading towards a diplomatic conflict with its European allies. While the US government has long been hostile to the court and has in the past imposed targeted sanctions on individual prosecutors and judges, the new measures go much further. You could also meet companies that provide services to the court.

“President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute US citizens,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement provided to Reuters ahead of the official announcement. "That's why today the United States is imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. We will ban transactions with this rogue court, curtail its resources and paralyze its work."

Washington is particularly offended by the court's arrest warrants issued last year against Israeli government officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In addition, the ICC conducted investigations into alleged crimes by US soldiers in Afghanistan in the past, but has since discontinued them.

The ICC's deputy prosecutor, Nazhat Shameem Khan, sharply criticized the action. “The sanctions are intended to undermine the international rule of law and the work of an independent judicial institution,” she told Reuters, emphasizing: “Our work will continue in all our proceedings, investigations and prosecutions.”

Established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, the Hague-based court has 125 member states. This includes all EU countries and all NATO members with the exception of the USA and Turkey. South African lawyer Navi Pillay, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her work in international criminal justice, was a judge in the ICC Appeals Chamber from 2003 to 2008.

When awarding the prize, the Nobel Committee said it wanted to set an example at a time when “judges and institutions of international law are under political attack.” An international legal system in which war criminals are held accountable and victims receive justice is a prerequisite for a peaceful world.

US sanctions generally prohibit all US-based companies from working with a affected organization. This forces banks to close accounts, insurers to terminate insurance coverage and software companies to cease cooperation. The Trump administration imposed targeted sanctions on court officials in its first term, which were lifted under President Joe Biden.

However, after Trump took office again in January 2025, further sanctions were immediately announced. Those responsible at the court have been preparing for possible sanctions against the institution itself for months. Among other things, office computers were switched from Microsoft software to open source alternatives and new agreements were made for banking and health insurance.

Rubio said the U.S. waited to impose sanctions in the hope that the ICC and states parties to the Rome Statute - the court's founding treaty - would address Washington's concerns. However, this did not happen. "Either the ICC ends its threats, or we will end the ICC. We expect our allies, many of whom are members of the ICC and rely on U.S. soldiers for their defense, to rein in the court," Rubio said. The measures are designed in such a way that the member states have the opportunity to negotiate a solution. If these efforts do not bear fruit, the measures will be further adjusted.