London — The International Criminal Court on Friday condemned sanctions imposed on its officials by President Trump. The United Nations court, which is in the Hague, Netherlands, said the U.S. measures were intended to “harm (the Court’s) independent and impartial judicial work.”
“The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all Situations before it,” the ICC said in a statement. “We call on our 125 States Parties, civil society and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights.”Â
Mr. Trump claimed in his executive order on Thursday that the ICC had “engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel.”
“The United States unequivocally opposes and expects our allies to oppose any ICC actions against the United States, Israel, or any other ally of the United States that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” the executive order said.
Evan Vucci/AP
The sanctions place visa and financial restrictions on individuals who work on ICC investigations into citizens of the U.S. or any U.S. ally that “has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” or their immediate family members.
The ICC, Israel and the war in Gaza
Last November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, whom Israel said was killed in an airstrike in July. Hamas confirmed his death last month.
Deif was accused by the ICC judges of being “responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder; extermination; torture; and rape and other forms of sexual violence; as well as the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture; taking hostages; outrages upon personal dignity; and rape and other form of sexual violence,” in connection to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
Judges found “reasonable grounds to believe that” Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, from at least 8 October 2023 to 20 May 2024,” when the ICC prosecutor filed applications for the arrest warrants, an ICC statement said in November.
“This finding is based on the role of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant in impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law and their failure to facilitate relief by all means at its disposal,” the ICC said.
Judges at the ICC “found that their conduct led to the disruption of the ability of humanitarian organizations to provide food and other essential goods to the population in need in Gaza. The aforementioned restrictions together with cutting off electricity and reducing fuel supply also had a severe impact on the availability of water in Gaza and the ability of hospitals to provide medical care.”
What is the ICC?
There are a number of international treaties, including the Geneva Convention and the Geneva Protocol, that establish international legal standards for warfare. Violations of these standards are war crimes that can be prosecuted at the ICC.
The ICC was founded in 2002 under an international treaty known commonly as the Rome Statute. ICC jurisdiction applies in over 120 countries that are States Parties to the statute and to their citizens.Â
Neither the United States nor Israel are signatories to the treaty.
The ICC tries individuals for crimes under four broad categories: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression.
According to the court’s own figures, it has heard 32 cases and issued 60 arrest warrants. The judges have handed down 11 convictions and four acquittals.
International response to U.S. sanctions against ICC
Dozens of countries, including Canada, Germany and Mexico, reaffirmed their support for the ICC in a joint statement released Friday.
“The Court serves as a vital pillar of the international justice system by ensuring accountability for the most serious international crimes, and justice for victims,” and measures sanctioning it “increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and threaten to erode the international rule of law, which is crucial for promoting global order and security,” the statement said.
A spokesperson for U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who’s a former senior public prosecutor for the British government, said the U.K. supported the independence of the ICC. Britain is also a signatory to the Rome Statute.