The Times: Anticipated US sanctions could end the existence of the International Criminal Court - Sarmad
The Times reported on Friday that anticipated U.S. sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) could lead to its demise, as institutions cooperating with the court are also expected to be targeted.
In its report, the newspaper stated: “Given the options on the table, no company or supplier will be able to deal with the ICC without exposing itself to the risk of sanctions. Supporters of the court fear this could lead to its eradication.”
A European diplomat, whose identity the newspaper did not disclose, described the news regarding the anticipated sanctions as bad news for anyone who supports the court’s activities.
Earlier, in September, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing U.S. officials and documents, that the administration of President Donald Trump was preparing to impose broad sanctions on the court that would severely restrict its operations. The newspaper quoted the court as saying the sanctions could prevent it from conducting transactions in U.S. dollars.
As an early sign of the repercussions, the court terminated its contract with health insurance company AXA in an effort to protect itself from U.S. sanctions, according to the Financial Times on Thursday. A court spokesperson said both parties had mutually agreed to end the contractual relationship, and that the court would rely on a new provider whose identity has not been disclosed.
AXA justified the move, according to the same newspaper, citing the complexity and sensitivity of the file in light of the risks arising from the extraterritorial application of U.S. sanctions. Trump had previously urged all member states of the court to withdraw from it during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, describing the court as “evil” and a “rogue institution.”
Gert-Jan Alexander Knops, the ICC’s chief defense counsel, told RIA Novosti that placing the court on the U.S. sanctions list could paralyze all judicial proceedings currently underway before it.
In 2025, the United States imposed personal sanctions on several court officials, including nine judges, two deputy prosecutors, suspended Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, and one employee in the Office of the Prosecutor. Last June, Canadian Judge Kimberly Prost and her colleagues, Rénée Jansen-Ganso and Solomy Balungi Bossa, filed a lawsuit in a federal court in New York against Trump and his administration officials, arguing that these measures were illegal.
