The International Criminal Court (ICC) has struck out this Wednesday against the United States for what it considers a "flagrant attack" on the institution, following the imposition of sanctions on its president, Tomoko Akane, and on a lawyer of the court, warning that these measures put "at risk" the very international legal order.
In an official statement, the ICC "deplores" the announcement of new sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and emphasizes that they "constitute a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution that acts under the mandate conferred by its States Parties from all regions."
The court recalls that, with these decisions, nine of the eighteen judges, in addition to the two deputy prosecutors, the former prosecutor, and a staff member, have been subject to sanctions by Washington.
"These measures directed against judges, prosecutors, and staff members who work to fulfill the mandate conferred on the ICC by the States undermine the rule of law. When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the very international legal order that is at risk," the court based in The Hague has warned.
The ICC insists that these coercive actions directly impact the ability of victims "to seek justice," emphasizing that they turn to the court when "all other avenues have been exhausted."
Despite this, the international body emphasizes that it "will not be intimidated" and expresses its support for both the sanctioned staff and the victims of "unimaginable atrocities" who seek justice.
"The Court will continue to fully carry out its mandate with independence and impartiality, in accordance with the Rome Statute and in the interest of the victims of international crimes," it added, while thanking the "constant expressions of solidarity" from the States Parties, civil society, and all individuals and institutions that defend the rule of law and justice.
In addition to Akane, the Administration of Donald Trump has added the Senegalese judge Abdoulaye Seye, a high-ranking litigator at the ICC, to its 'blacklist.'
The Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has defended the decision by accusing the last two sanctioned of having "directly participated in the initiatives of the ICC to investigate, detain, imprison, or prosecute officials" of governments that have not ratified the Rome Statute, which, he warned in a statement, "sets a dangerous precedent for all nations."
This new twist is part of the United States' offensive against the court in The Hague, which it accuses of being a "corrupt supranational court" and "politicized" that makes abusive use of its powers.