Donald Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court
Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) because his administration believes the ICC is unfairly targeting the U.S. and its allies, including Israel. The order introduces financial and visa restrictions on ICC officials and their families who assist in investigations against U.S. citizens or allies.
Accusations of Bias: The White House claims the ICC is creating a “shameful moral equivalency” between Israel and Hamas.
Jurisdiction Concerns: Trump argues the ICC lacks jurisdiction over the U.S. and Israel, as neither are signatories to the Rome Statute that established the court. The U.S. maintains that it and Israel have robust judicial systems, making ICC intervention unnecessary.
Retaliation for Investigations: The sanctions followed the ICC’s investigation into Israeli actions in Gaza and the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump’s administration has long opposed the ICC’s investigations into the U.S. and allied nations, calling them unfair and politically motivated.
Past Actions: During his first term, Trump sanctioned ICC officials for investigating alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
ICC’s Role: The ICC, established in 2002, prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and aggression, especially when member states cannot or will not prosecute these crimes themselves.
Criticism of Sanctions: Some human rights groups and legal experts have expressed concerns that these sanctions could hinder the ICC’s work and raise First Amendment concerns, potentially penalizing individuals for assisting the court in identifying and investigating atrocities.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigations into the U.S. and its allies, specifically Israel. The order imposes financial and visa sanctions on individuals and their family members who assist in ICC investigations of U.S. citizens or allies.
Trump’s order stated that the ICC “abused its power” by issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The order accused the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel,” referring to probes into alleged war crimes by U.S. service members in Afghanistan and Israeli troops in Gaza.
The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans against ICC officials, employees, and their family members, as well as anyone helping the court’s investigations.
Neither the United States nor Israel are members of the ICC. The ICC issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Netanyahu, his former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas’ military chief Mohammed Deif for “crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024”.
Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, responded to the executive order, saying, “This reckless action sends the message that Israel is above the law and the universal principles of international justice”.
During his first term, Trump imposed financial sanctions and a visa ban on the ICC’s then-prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, and other senior officials and staff in 2020. President Joe Biden lifted the sanctions soon after taking office in 2021.
