Washington escalates its war on international justice... sanctions threaten to paralyze the International Criminal Court

Washington - Ofoq News - On Friday, the United States announced the imposition of new sanctions on the International Criminal Court in The Hague, which may deprive it of banking, insurance and software services, according to what Reuters reported.

The court strongly criticized the sanctions, saying: “This is an attempt to prevent the court from fulfilling its original mission. This is an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal order. The court cannot stand alone, as its fate is now in the hands of the countries that created it. This is not just about protecting one institution, but about preserving the international order based on the rule of law. History will judge this moment.”

This announcement comes a few hours after the announcement that the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navi Pillay, a former judge at the International Criminal Court.

The Trump administration has already imposed sanctions on senior officials at the court, but this time sanctions may also be imposed on those who provide services to it.

This step comes due to the arrest warrants issued by the court against senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, and in response to a previous investigation conducted by the court regarding US military forces in Afghanistan.

"President Trump will never allow the ICC to prosecute Americans. That is why the United States today is imposing sanctions on the ICC. We will ban dealings with this recalcitrant court, cut off its funding, and cripple its ability to function," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement obtained by Reuters ahead of the official announcement.

The European Union condemned the American decision. The European Commission said: “The US decision is very regrettable. The European Union will work with the court to ensure that it continues to work effectively.”