America imposes wide-ranging sanctions on 'ICC' as part of campaign to dismantle it

The administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed new, wide-ranging sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), as part of its campaign to dismantle the court, which the United States believes has become politicized and has sought to unjustly and illegally prosecute Americans and Israelis for alleged war crimes.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions on Friday, following the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to South African judge Navi Pillay, who led investigations into potential allegations before the ICC against US forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

However, the decision to sanction the ICC predated the announcement of the Nobel Prize by a considerable period.

In a video message shared on social media, Rubio stated: “We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cut off its resources, and cripple its ability to act against us.”

In a statement, the ICC said the sanctions constitute “an assault on the rule of law and on the fundamental pillars of the international legal system, undermining the simple principle that no one is above the law,” adding that “history will judge this moment.”