USA imposes far-reaching sanctions against the International Criminal Court

The US government has imposed sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). The US State Department said it would prohibit transactions with the court, restrict resources and restrict its ability to act. There had previously been sanctions against individual judges and prosecutors.

The move came hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. 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.

The Reuters news agency quotes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, citing a statement in its possession, as follows: "President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute US citizens." "For this reason, the USA is today imposing sanctions against the International Criminal Court. We will ban transactions with this rogue court, curtail its resources and cripple its work.”

Washington is particularly bothered 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.

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.