Washington:The United States has imposed extensive sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), prohibiting transactions with the tribunal in an effort to safeguard its sovereignty and protect its citizens from prosecution. This move has led to widespread condemnation from the United Nations and international partners.
According to Emirates News Agency, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the sanctions aim to cripple the operations of what he termed a "rogue court," and he warned that Washington would work to dismantle the institution unless allied countries intervened.
The announcement of the sanctions came shortly after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The court has rejected these measures, describing them as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal order.
In response, the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement expressing their strong opposition to the US sanctions. They reaffirmed their "continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the ICC."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also criticized the decision. His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, released a statement labeling the sanctions as "a serious blow to our collective pursuit of international criminal justice," while reaffirming the UN's support for the court's independence and its officials.
