US unveils sanctions on ICC in move court condems as 'assault on rule of law'

The US administration announced sweeping sanctions that target the International Criminal Court itself, banning US entities from financial and technological transactions with the court and escalating earlier measures that had blacklisted 17 judges and officials. Framed by US officials as a defense of national sovereignty and a response to past ICC probes of US forces in Afghanistan and arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, the package aims to cripple the court’s finances while offering a six-month grace period to allow member states to negotiate. The measures include narrow licenses to maintain detention-related services but do not tie lifting of sanctions to withdrawal of specific warrants.

The court condemned the move as an attack on international justice, and the UN secretary-general warned it undermines the global legal order. Key US allies - including the UK, Canada, several European states, Japan and the Netherlands - publicly rejected the decision and reaffirmed support for the court. Legal experts warn the sanctions could force the ICC to halt trials and potentially release detainees such as former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, inflicting grave harm on victims and on long-term efforts to prosecute war crimes. Israeli and some other leaders welcomed the action, while the Netherlands, as host, faces particular diplomatic pressure.