UN chief calls US sanctions on ICC a ‘Serious Blow’

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres says US sanctions against the International Criminal Court threaten its ability to carry out its mandate.
• The measures mark a new escalation in Washington’s campaign against the tribunal, which has faced US opposition over investigations involving American personnel and ‘Israeli’ leaders.
• The ICC has rejected the sanctions, while European governments have pledged to explore ways to protect the court’s operations.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday condemned US sanctions against the International Criminal Court, warning that the measures could undermine international efforts to hold perpetrators of serious crimes accountable.

“The secretary-general is deeply alarmed by the expected impact of the sanctions on the Court as a whole, and in particular its continued ability to perform its important mandate,” UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told reporters.

“Today's decision marks a serious blow to our collective pursuit of international criminal justice, of which the ICC is a key pillar,” Dujarric said, reiterating Guterres’ support for the court’s independence and its officials.

The sanctions, announced Friday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, target the court as an institution, escalating a campaign by President Donald Trump’s administration against the tribunal over its investigations into alleged crimes involving the United States and its allies, including ‘Israel’.

The ICC, based in The Hague, investigates and prosecutes genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. The United States and ‘Israel’ are not parties to the court’s founding treaty, the Rome Statute, but the tribunal maintains that it can exercise jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed on the territory of member states.

The court has issued arrest warrants for ‘Israeli’ Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. It has also investigated alleged crimes in Afghanistan, including those involving US personnel.

Guterres reiterated that accountability for international crimes and justice for victims were central to the international community’s commitments to peace, security and human rights. He also called on states to uphold their obligations under international law and support the court’s independence.

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