Listen to this articleEstimated 4 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated using AI-based technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results. The Trump administration has imposed sweeping new sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) as part of its campaign to dismantle the court that the United States believes has become politicized and attempted to unfairly and illegally prosecute Americans and Israelis for war crimes. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions on Friday, after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to South African prosecutor Navi Pillay, a former judge at the ICC and other international courts. US President Donald Trump has coveted that prize for himself. The measure, however, long predates the announcement of the Nobel Prize. “We will prohibit transactions with this dishonest court, cutting off its resources and crippling its ability to operate against us,” Rubio said in a video speech posted on social media. “The United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this false ICC.”WATCH | ICC fights for its life amid Trump restrictions: Why is the ICC in the fight of its life against Trump? President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court. Anand Ram examines the complicated relationship between the United States and the ICC. So why is the West still skeptical about Iran’s uranium enrichment program? The sanctions block any assets that the ICC as an institution may have in US jurisdictions and establish a six-month timeline for US companies and individuals that do business with the court to close that business. Rubio said both Republicans and Democrats have deep reservations about the court, which was established to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity that could not otherwise be handled by the parties involved. But he said only Trump was willing to move against the court. “Both sides agree on this, but only President Trump has the determination to take the necessary steps to end this threat once and for all,” Rubio said. “Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.” The ICC denounces ‘attack on the rule of law’ The ICC denounced the measure as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international order, themes that Rubio seemed to embrace just two days ago in a speech in front of the Acropolis in Athens. “It is an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and prevent the Court from doing what it was created to do,” the court said in a statement. statement. “It is an assault on the rule of law and the very foundations of the international legal order that attacks the simple principle that no one is above the law.” Canadian ICC Judge Sanctioned by US: US Sanctions Canadian International Criminal Court Judge Kimberly Prost, a Canadian judge at the International Criminal Court, has been sanctioned by the Trump administration for deciding to authorize the ICC investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by US personnel in Afghanistan. The sanctions come as the US State Department unleashes a new wave of restrictions against judges it said were central to efforts to prosecute Americans and Israelis. ICC President Tomoko Akane, a citizen of US ally Japan, said the court would “continue to fully carry out its mandate, independently and impartially, acting only on the basis of the law and evidence, for the sake of the countless victims of serious crimes.” He also asked other ICC members for support. “It is not just about defending a single institution, but about safeguarding the international order based on the rule of law.” Rubio had said that the United States hopes that its allies will join the actions against the ICC. These include many NATO members in Europe and Japan. “If they don’t, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, piece by piece, until Americans are no longer threatened,” he said. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen, in a post on X, called the announcement of the sanctions “a deeply regrettable step. We remain firm in defense of the court.” He said the six-month window before sanctions take effect “creates room for dialogue.” of the ICC.
