Washington imposes wide-ranging sanctions on the International Criminal Court

Washington, Oct 9 (KUNA) -- The United States announced on Friday the imposition of sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), which will prohibit financial transactions with the court, cut off its resources, and paralyze its operational capacity. This was stated in a statement issued by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who noted that these measures are designed to be reversible in the event a diplomatic solution is reached that addresses Washington’s concerns.

Rubio said, “For decades, both Republicans and Democrats have rejected the notion that the ICC should have the authority to prosecute American citizens, members of the armed forces, or political leaders.” He recalled that the United States “has never joined this court; we do not need it, nor do we want it.”

He clarified that “experts from the globalization camp on the other side of the ocean are indifferent to what American citizens think, as they want the ICC to expand its mandate to include prosecuting American citizens, whether they are soldiers defending their country, border guards protecting our nation, or elected leaders ensuring our national security. They seek more power and want it at our expense.”

He stressed that U.S. President Donald Trump “will never allow the ICC to prosecute Americans,” affirming that “for this reason, the United States is imposing sanctions on the ICC today. We will prohibit financial dealings with this rogue court, cut off its resources, and paralyze its ability to operate.”

Rubio noted that Washington had previously clarified its position more than a year ago “regarding the basic gestures of good faith we expected from the court. We exercised restraint and delayed taking this action out of respect for our relationships and in the hope that the ICC would change its course or that its state parties would rein it in. However, neither the court nor the state parties have taken any concrete steps to address our concerns so far.”

He added, “Despite their inaction, we still hope for a diplomatic solution. We designed this measure to give state parties an opportunity to negotiate and propose a solution that addresses our concerns. If these efforts bear no fruit, we will continue to adjust our approach in line with developments.”

He continued, “The United States and its people are not subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction, and both parties agree on this. However, only President Trump has the resolve to take the necessary action to end this threat once and for all. Either the ICC ends its threats, or we will end the court’s existence.”

The U.S. Secretary of State said, “We expect our allies, many of whom are members of the court and rely on U.S. military personnel for their defense, to rein in this court.” He warned that “if they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, brick by brick, until the threat to Americans is eliminated.” (End) R.S.R./R.J.