UN rights chief says ‘unprecedented’ attacks on ICC aim to ‘isolate and paralyze’ court

United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk holds a press conference in Damascus, Syria on January 15, 2025 [Erçin Ertürk – Anadolu Agency]

The UN human rights chief warned on Tuesday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing “virulent and unprecedented attacks” to “isolate and paralyze” the court, Anadolu reports.

Volker Turk said some countries were imposing sanctions on the court, pursuing criminal proceedings against its officials and spreading disinformation about its work.

“The goal is the same: to isolate and paralyze the Court,” he said at an event on intergenerational justice in The Hague.

He criticized some states that are parties to the Rome Statute for failing to fulfill their obligations to execute arrest warrants and cooperate with the court in specific cases.

“Attacks against the ICC are attacks on justice and the rule of law. A world without justice is a world of violence and chaos,” said Turk.

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He described the measures targeting the court as attempts to undermine its impartiality, independence and integrity, warning that they were part of a broader pushback against human rights worldwide.

“There cannot be one standard for one’s allies and another for one’s enemies,” he said, stressing the need to apply international law consistently.

Turk urged those with influence to defend the court, warning that weakening international justice institutions would leave future generations with fewer safeguards against abuses of power.

“We must stand firm in defense of human rights and justice,” he concluded.

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