The Heads of State and Government of the Twenty-Seven have reiterated the European Union's support for institutions responsible for safeguarding International Law, including "the effective protection of international courts and their officials" against "any threat or sanction," also emphasizing the importance of their having "unhindered access" to financial and other services.
This commitment is included in the conclusions adopted at the European Council held on Thursday and Friday in Brussels, where the EU leaders rejected pressures, threats, and sanctions directed against judges, prosecutors, and other collaborators of international courts, at the initiative of Spain and Austria, according to diplomatic sources told Europa Press.
"The European Council reaffirms the EU's support for institutions that defend International Law, including through the effective protection of international courts and their officials against any threat or sanction, and in this regard underlines the importance of unhindered access to financial and other services," the approved document states.
Although the text does not name specific individuals, this defense of International Law comes in a context where the United States has imposed sanctions and issued threats against judges, prosecutors, and collaborators of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including the UN rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, for investigating or reporting on a genocide by Israel in Gaza.
Other diplomatic sources have explained that the objective of this common position is to ensure that the court remains "operational," so that, if sanctions materialize, "it can continue to function."
The declaration takes place one month after the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, called on the President of the European Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, to activate the Blocking Statute to prevent Washington's sanctions against Albanese and against judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court investigating the genocide in Gaza from taking effect within the European Union.
Although the Blockade Statute is not expressly mentioned in the conclusions nor is a specific request made to the Commission on this matter, a month ago the Community Executive already stated that it was analyzing "concrete measures" to reinforce the protection and resilience of the ICC, calling the threats and attacks against judges, staff, and collaborators of the court "unacceptable".