US sanctions International Criminal Court itself in latest escalation

What the report says

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a new round of US sanctions against the International Criminal Court, this time targeting the court as an institution rather than only individual judges or supporters. Al Jazeera reported that the move, announced on Friday, is the latest step in the Trump administration’s campaign to weaken the tribunal, which Washington says it opposes because of its actions and jurisdiction.

According to the article, the administration says the ICC’s work could expose US personnel because of the court’s Afghanistan investigation, and it also objects to arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Rubio said the US would cut off transactions and resources for what he called a “rogue court.”

Al Jazeera noted that the US and Israel are not parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC, but the court has maintained that it can prosecute crimes committed on the territory of member states. The new sanctions follow earlier US actions against ICC judges, prosecutors, and other entities linked to cases involving Palestine-related evidence.

The article said rights groups and sanctioned ICC figures have challenged earlier penalties in US courts, warning that the pressure campaign could affect the court’s ability to gather evidence and work with local partners. The ICC deputy prosecutor condemned the sanctions and said the court would continue its investigations and prosecutions.