International Criminal Court Denounces U.S. Sanctions as Attack on Judicial Independence
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday fiercely criticized United States sanctions targeting its senior officials, reaffirming its commitment to seeking justice and describing the move as a “blatant attack” on the global judicial body’s independence.
In a statement, the ICC declared that these sanctions represent a “blatant attack on the independence of an impartial judicial body” that operates under the mandate granted by its member states across various regions of the world.
The statement further detailed the impact of these measures, noting that nine out of eighteen judges, both Deputy Prosecutors, a former Prosecutor, and one staff member are currently under U.S. sanctions.
The court asserted that the sanctions “undermine the rule of law” and warned that when judicial officials are “threatened for implementing the law, the international legal order is endangered.”
This development follows a Tuesday announcement from the U.S. Treasury Department, which imposed sanctions on the President of the ICC.
The sanctions specifically targeted ICC President, Japanese Judge Tomoko Akane, and Senegalese Judge Abdoulaye Yaya Sow.
Previously, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, “We will dismantle the International Criminal Court using every tool at the government’s disposal and cooperating with any ally we can to achieve a common goal, and if necessary, we will tear it down brick by brick!”
Rubio accused the ICC of being supported and managed by a powerful network of left-wing non-governmental organizations and third-world governments united by their animosity towards the United States.
U.S. dissatisfaction with the court dates back to the first term of President Donald Trump, when the judicial body faced criticism for its efforts to investigate alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
During Trump’s second term, a series of sanctions were imposed on ICC officials for their attempts to investigate alleged crimes by the United States and the Israeli regime.
