President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to its investigations into the United States and its ally, Israel.
On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order accusing the ICC of “abusing its power” after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Just days before, Netanyahu had met with Trump at the White House, reinforcing their strong diplomatic ties.
The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans on ICC officials, employees, and even their family members. Additionally, the order extends penalties to anyone deemed to have assisted the court’s investigations.
Trump’s administration has long been critical of the ICC, particularly for its probes into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. service members in Afghanistan and Israeli forces in Gaza. In his order, Trump described the court’s actions as “illegitimate and baseless” attacks on both nations.
The International Criminal Court swiftly condemned Trump’s decision, calling it an attempt to undermine its independence and impartiality. “The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world,” the ICC said in a statement on Friday.
Despite the sanctions, the court remains steadfast in its mission, vowing to continue delivering “justice and hope” to victims of atrocities worldwide and asserting that it will not be deterred by political pressure.
The United Nations has also weighed in, expressing deep regret over Trump’s decision and urging him to reverse the sanctions. The names of those affected by the sanctions have not been publicly released, though previous U.S. sanctions under Trump had targeted the ICC’s chief prosecutor.