The European Union calls on Washington to withdraw its sanctions against the “International Criminal Court”

Brussels - Ofoq News - The European Union expressed its regret over the decision of the United States of America to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court as an institution, calling on Washington to withdraw this measure.

A statement issued on behalf of the Union by Foreign and Security Policy Officer Kaya Kallas, today, Saturday, affirmed the bloc’s support for the international system based on rules and respect for international law, stressing that the International Criminal Court represents one of its basic elements.

The statement explained that the International Criminal Court plays a decisive role in holding perpetrators of the most serious crimes accountable, and that it does not target sovereign states.

He stressed the unacceptability of targeting or threatening the court, its elected officials, employees, civil society representatives, and service providers cooperating with it.

He stressed that the court must operate independently and without external pressure or interference, and that the Union must continue its full support for it and its readiness to take all necessary measures to ensure that it continues to perform its duties effectively and protect its employees and collaborators.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Washington's intention to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court, after its former judge Navi Pillay won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against the head of the occupation government, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former army minister, Yoav Galant, against the backdrop of accusations of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip.