Rights groups launch new legal challenge to Trump campaign against ICC

What the report says

Four US-based human rights organisations have filed a new lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s sanctions campaign against the International Criminal Court, according to Al Jazeera. The groups — the American Friends Service Committee, the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch and the Open Society Institute — argue that the measures interfere with their work and violate constitutional protections, including free speech and due process.

The case, filed on Tuesday, targets sanctions that cover ICC officials as well as people and organisations that cooperate with the court. The plaintiffs say the restrictions have made it harder for them to represent victims of war crimes, submit legal and policy material to the ICC, and work with Palestinian rights groups on advocacy, research and humanitarian efforts. Their complaint also says the administration has gone beyond its authority in using a declared national emergency to justify the policy.

Al Jazeera reported that the dispute stems from a February 2025 executive order expanding pressure on the ICC after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and continued an Afghanistan-related inquiry that could involve US personnel. Since then, several ICC judges and prosecutors, plus some rights groups and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, have faced US sanctions. The new suit adds to earlier legal challenges and comes as Washington intensifies criticism of the court.

The broader issue matters because the ICC is a key venue for investigating alleged war crimes and genocide when domestic systems are seen as insufficient. The US is not a member of the court, but past court decisions have suggested that some sanctions may run into constitutional concerns for people in the United States.