USA: Trump's sanctions against International Criminal Court employees 'yet another assault on justice'

President Trump has authorised sanctions against ICC employees involved in investigating American troops, intelligence officials and those of allied nations for possible war crimes

‘That the Trump Administration is so committed to targeting the court speaks volumes about its lack of commitment to delivering justice to individuals, families, and communities’ - Daniel Balson

Responding to President Trump’s authorising of sanctions against International Criminal Court employees directly involved in investigating American troops, intelligence officials and allied nations for possible war crimes, Daniel Balson, Advocacy Director for Amnesty International USA, said:

“The Trump administration has a well-honed pattern of undermining and all-out assaults on multilateral institutions, rather than doing the sometimes difficult, but necessary work of joining them, sustaining them, and working to improve them. Today’s announcement is yet another assault on vital institutions that help people look after one another and provide survivors of rights abuses with justice.

“The vague and open-ended language in the executive order could leave open the possibility that NGO workers, activists, foreign government officials, and others working to advance international justice may find themselves implicated by these obstructive measures.

“The ICC has investigated individuals responsible for some of the world’s most horrific crimes, including those in Myanmar, the Central African Republic, and Darfur, to name just a few. The ICC is a court of last resort; it exists to provide justice in situations where states are unwilling or unable to do so. It is a court for the people. That the Trump Administration is so committed to targeting the court speaks volumes about its lack of commitment to delivering justice to individuals, families, and communities.”