A group of 79 signatory countries to the Rome Statute have published a joint statement condemning the sanctions announced by the United States against the International Criminal Court (ICC), in light of the arrest warrants issued by the court against the Israeli Prime Minister and some members of his cabinet. The declaration was not adopted by Italy, while it was supported by major European countries such as France, Germany and Spain, as well as the United Kingdom.
“The Court is a pillar of the international justice system, but today it faces unprecedented challenges: the imposition of sanctions risks deteriorating the rule of law and would undermine all cases currently under investigation,” the statement read.
The International Criminal Court has also condemned the executive order by which the United States imposes sanctions on its officials. A decision, it says in a statement, which aims to “damage the independent and impartial work of the judiciary”. The court assures its staff of its closeness and launches an appeal “to the 125 States Parties, to civil society and to all the nations of the world, to unite in favor of justice and fundamental human rights”.
The President of the ICC, Tomoko Akane, notes “with deep regret” the White House’s decision, speaking of an act intended to “damage the independence and impartiality of the Court and to deprive millions of innocent victims of atrocities of justice and hope”. The ICC, Akane continues, “is a judicial body that carries out functions in line with the interests of the international community, enforcing and promoting universally recognized norms of international law, including the law of armed conflict and human rights law”. A body that has become “indispensable” observes the judge, recalling the “atrocities” that “continue to plague the world, affecting the lives of millions of innocent children, women and men”. The executive order of US President Donald Trump “is only the latest in a series of unprecedented attacks” and an escalation “that aims to undermine the Court’s ability to administer justice in all situations. Such threats and coercive measures constitute a grave attack on the States Parties to the Court, on the international order based on the rule of law and on millions of victims,” Akane added.
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