Governments around the world have rushed to defend the International Criminal Court (ICC) after Donald Trump launched sanctions against the global body, which is seen as a vital last resort to prosecute powerful individuals accused of atrocities including war crimes and genocide.
Set up more than two decades ago to serve as an impartial and incorruptible body that had the heft to take on criminals – from militant warlords to heads of state – the ICC has found itself under attack from Washington at a time when it is investigating shocking violence in Gaza.
The US president signed an executive order on Thursday authorising aggressive economic sanctions against the ICC and travel bans on its staff, accusing the court of “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the US and its ally Israel.
Trump’s order cited an ICC-issued arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes relating to the Gaza war as a reason for the decision. Netanyahu visited Washington this week and praised Trump as Israel’s “greatest friend”.
Responding yesterday, the ICC called on its 125 state parties to stand up against sanctions, describing Washington’s move as an attempt to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work”.
Hours later, 79 countries – including Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Mexico and Nigeria – released a joint letter that warned sanctions would “increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and threaten to erode the international rule of law”.
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said sanctions would “jeopardise an institution that is supposed to ensure that the dictators of this world cannot simply persecute people and start wars”. France said it would reaffirm its support for the ICC and mobilise with its partners so that the ICC could continue its mission.
In London, a spokesperson for the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Britain supported the independence of the court.
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, said the ICC gave “a voice to victims worldwide” and it “must be able to freely pursue the fight against global impunity”, while the main United Nations rights agency said Trump’s decision should be reversed.
The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute serious crimes committed by individuals when member states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves.
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