New York [US], October 10: The United States imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, banning transactions with the tribunal in a move Washington said was intended to protect its sovereignty and citizens from prosecution, drawing widespread condemnation from the United Nations and international partners.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures were designed to cripple the operations of what he called a "rogue court", warning that Washington would seek to dismantle the institution unless allied countries took action to rein it in.
The sanctions were announced hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The court rejected the measures, describing them as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal order.
In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their "continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the ICC", expressing strong opposition to the US sanctions.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also condemned the decision. In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, he described the sanctions as "a serious blow to our collective pursuit of international criminal justice", reaffirming the UN's support for the court's independence and its officials.
Source: Emirates News Agency
