White House faces sanctions against ICC

The White House faces sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC), US Secretary of State Marco Rubio writes in a statement:

"We will prohibit transactions with the lawless court, choke its resources and cripple its operations."

The sanctions could lead to American banks being forced to close accounts and software companies to suspend collaborations, according to Reuters. Companies and individuals who have business relationships with ICC have six months to end these collaborations.

The announcement comes hours after Navi Pillay, one of the ICC's former judges, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The court was established in 2002 and has the task of prosecuting war crimes and crimes against humanity. In the justification for the Nobel Prize, the committee said that it wanted to highlight the work at a time when "judges and international legal institutions are exposed to political threats".

On social media, US President Donald Trump shared a post on Friday criticizing the choice of this year's award winner.

Washington has long criticized the court, including for being political, and the Trump administration has previously imposed sanctions on the court's representatives. In recent years, the United States has condemned the ICC's arrest warrants against Israeli politicians, such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, because of the war in Gaza. In the past, a now closed investigation into the actions of American soldiers in Afghanistan has also been called into question, according to Reuters.

The ICC calls the sanctions an attack on the foundations of the international order and the principle that no one is above the law, AP reports. Court President Tomoko Akane is asking the court's 125 members for support after the White House issued the new sanctions.

Meanwhile, Marco Rubio is asking US allies, many of whom are members of the court, to join the White House in imposing measures against the ICC.

Regardless, the United States will "continue its work to dismantle the ICC, piece by piece, until Americans are no longer threatened," Rubio said in his statement.

According to the US Secretary of State, the sanctions against the court in The Hague and its member states provide an opportunity to address US concerns.

The European Commission says in a statement that it will work to ensure that the court will be able to continue its activities. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten agrees with the EU Commission's statement. According to Reuters, Jetten also says that there is still a possibility of negotiation with the US, according to Reuters.