The administration of US President Donald Trump has prepared sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court and may announce them soon, Reuters reports, citing two informed sources.
According to the agency, US officials are demanding that the court cancel arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials and end the investigation into the actions of US military personnel in Afghanistan. It is not yet clear when exactly the restrictions will be announced.
Reuters notes that Washington has already imposed sanctions against individual judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court, but has so far refrained from taking measures against the institution itself. According to the agency and The Wall Street Journal, the final decision may be made this week during the session of the UN General Assembly.
The president and secretary of the court have warned that sanctions against the entire organization and structures that cooperate with it could seriously hinder the work of the institution. They point to a risk to IT services, insurance, hiring of investigators and daily financial operations.
The International Criminal Court was established in 2002 and hears cases of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The US has not ratified the Rome Statute and is not a party to the court.
Tensions between Donald Trump and the ICC are intensifying again after his re-election in 2024. In August, the US announced sanctions against the court's president, Tomoko Akane, and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, and earlier this year, US officials called on allies to withdraw from the Rome Statute, Ukrainska Pravda reports.
Sources: Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Ukrainska Pravda