The work of the International Criminal Court is slowed down by Trumpʼs sanctions

The International Criminal Court (ICC) staff and contractors complain that US sanctions make it difficult for them to carry out even their daily tasks, let alone achieve justice for victims of war crimes or genocide.

This was reported by the AP after interviews with current and former ICC officials, international lawyers, and human rights activists.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan has lost access to his email and his bank accounts have been frozen. Inside the ICC, staff joke that they canʼt even lend Khan a pen for fear of falling under Washingtonʼs radar.

American staff at the court in The Hague have been told they could be arrested if they come to the US. Six senior court officials have resigned over sanctions concerns.

The ICCʼs work is also hampered by its heavy reliance on contractors and NGOs. Some NGOs have stopped working with the ICC, and the heads of one of them do not even respond to emails from court officials.

“These sanctions will prevent victims from accessing justice,” said Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch.

The sanctions imposed by the administration of the US President Donald Trump ban Karim Khan and 900 other ICC staff from entering the United States, and threaten fines and prison sentences for any “financial, material or technological support” to the chief prosecutor.

The combined impact of these problems has led ICC staff to openly question whether the court can survive a Trump presidency, according to ICC officials who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

“It’s hard to imagine how the court can survive another four years,” said one official.

What preceded

The US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 6 imposing sanctions on the ICC, accusing it of “inappropriate actions” against the United States, Israel and other US allies. The sanctions also target prosecutor Karim Khan, who issued the arrest warrant for Putin.

The order imposes financial sanctions and visa restrictions on ICC officials who assisted in investigations against Americans and Israelis, as well as their family members.

The International Criminal Court has responded to US sanctions against its staff, saying they will hinder its independent and impartial work. At the same time, the court "firmly supports its staff".

• The International Criminal Court is the only court in the world with the right and jurisdiction to prosecute heads of state for the most serious crimes. The ICC is investigating the forced deportation of Ukrainian children and Russian attacks on civilian infrastructure. On March 17, 2023, it issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian childrenʼs rights commissioner. They are accused of directing the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, a war crime.
• The ICC also issued arrest warrants for former Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov on June 24, 2024. And on March 5, 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for commanders of the Russian long-range aviation Sergei Kobylash and the Black Sea Fleet Viktor Sokolov.

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