ICC condemns Trump’s sanctions order

The Hague: The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday condemned US President Donald Trump’s decision to impose sanctions on the international body.

“The ICC condemns the issuance by the US of an executive order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work,” said The Hague-based court in a statement.

The Netherlands, the ICC’s host country, and the European Union have both voiced regret.

Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp wrote on social platform X that “the Netherlands regrets the executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC,” as the court’s work is “essential in the fight against impunity.”

“Sanctioning the ICC threatens the court’s independence and undermines the international criminal justice system as a whole,” European Council President Antonio Costa wrote on X.

The European Commission, for its part, stressed the ICC’s “key importance in upholding international criminal justice and the fight against impunity.”

“The EU will be monitoring the implications of the executive order and will assess possible further steps,” said a commission spokesman, Xinhua news agency reported.

The US sanctions consist of financial penalties and visa restrictions for people who help the ICC with the investigation into American citizens and US allies. Trump warned of “tangible and significant consequences” for those involved.

Trump said his sanctions order came in response to the ICC’s arrest warrants issued in November last year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The chamber of the ICC found reasonable grounds that Netanyahu and Gallant each bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, according to the ICC.

IANS