Trump administration prepares sweeping sanctions against the entire ICC
The Trump administration has prepared sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court and plans to announce them soon, two sources familiar with the matter say.
The Trump administration has prepared sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court (ICC) and plans to announce them soon, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, in what would be a sharp escalation of Washington’s campaign against the global tribunal.
The decision could be finalised as soon as this week during the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, officials told the Wall Street Journal.
US officials want the court to drop its arrest warrants against Israeli leaders as well as a past probe into American troops in Afghanistan, according to the Japan Times report.
The move would mark a significant step up from measures taken so far. Washington has already sanctioned a number of ICC judges and prosecutors — including, in August, the court’s president Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye — but has held off from sanctioning the court itself.
Sanctions imposed on the whole organisation would prohibit US citizens and companies from providing funds, goods or services to the court without a licence from the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).
In July, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a campaign to isolate the court, calling on other countries to withdraw from the tribunal.
Sources
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