International Criminal Court condemns U.S. sanctions move

By Cecilia Ologunagba

New York, Feb. 8, 2025

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday condemned an executive order signed by United States President Donald Trump imposing punitive sanctions on its officials, stressing that the order sought to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work.”

The Court was established by the Rome Statute, negotiated within the UN – but it is a fully independent court set up to try the gravest crimes, including crimes against humanity.

Thursday’s executive order said the U.S. government would “impose tangible and significant consequences” on ICC officials who work on investigations that threaten national security of the U.S. and allies – including Israel.

The directive follows the decision in November by ICC judges to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, which accuses them of alleged war crimes in relation to the conduct of the war with Hamas in Gaza.

The ICC also issued a warrant for a former Hamas commander, Mohammed Deif.

Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognise the ICC’s jurisdiction. There are 125 states parties to the Rome Statute, which came into effect in 2002.

The U.S. executive order says that the ICC’s actions against Israel and preliminary investigations against the U.S. “set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former” personnel.

The order details possible sanctions including the blocking of property and assets of ICC officials and barring them and their families from entering the U.S.

A bid to impose sanctions on the ICC by the US Congress in January prior to the change in administration, failed to garner enough support in the Senate.

“The ICC condemns the issuance by the US of an Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work,” said the Court in a press release.

“The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all situations before it.”

The Court also called on all parties to the ICC together with civil society and other nations to “stand united for justice and fundamental human rights.”