WorldPosted at: Oct 9 2026 11:03PM


Trump administration imposes sanctions on ICC, decision draws condemnation from allies

Washington/The Hague, Oct 9 (UNI) The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating Washington's campaign against the tribunal and prompting condemnation from its officials, human rights groups and European allies.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would ban transactions with the court, which he described as a "rogue court", arguing that the US would not allow it to prosecute Americans.
"President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans," Rubio said in a statement ahead of the announcement. He said the measures were intended to cut off the court's resources and cripple its ability to operate.
The ICC's deputy prosecutor, Nazhat Shameem Khan, condemned the sanctions, saying they were intended to undermine international law and the work of an independent judicial institution.
"Our work will continue across all our situations, our investigations and our prosecutions," Khan said.
The court described the sanctions as an attack on international law and the foundations of the international legal order, warning that "history will judge this moment".
It said the measures sought to intimidate its staff and disrupt its work, but pledged not to be deterred. The ICC also called on its 125 member states to defend the institution, saying its future rested partly in the hands of the countries that established it.
Washington has long opposed the court, particularly following its arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and an earlier investigation into alleged crimes involving US forces in Afghanistan, which the ICC has since closed.
The latest action could extend beyond individual judges and prosecutors by potentially penalising companies that provide services to the court.
Foreign ministers from Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the UK reaffirmed their support for the ICC in a joint statement following the US announcement of plans to expand sanctions.
"If put into effect, these sanctions will have a significant impact on the Court's work, its dedicated staff and their families," the ministers said, adding that ICC personnel worked to bring those accused of the gravest international crimes to justice and support victims.
Amnesty International also condemned the measures, urging governments to resist their implementation.
"President Trump's sanctions are designed to isolate and ultimately destroy the International Criminal Court," said Erika Guevara Rosas, the organisation's representative, adding "This existential attack must fail. States must take concrete action to resist the imposition of these measures."
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