ICC warned of a threat to international legal order due to US sanctions

The International Criminal Court said that new US sanctions against its representatives undermine the rule of law and pose a threat to international legal order. The court stressed that pressure on judges, prosecutors, and other employees for performing their duties strikes at the very principle of independent justice.

The ICC noted that sanctions will not force the court to abandon its work. The institution intends to continue fulfilling its mandate given by states parties and support its staff and victims of international crimes.

The reaction came after a new decision by Washington regarding the court's leadership. The US imposed restrictions against ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. American authorities accuse them of participating in the court's actions against officials of states that do not recognize its jurisdiction. 

Kurs Ukraine previously wrote that Tomoko Akane's name was added to the sanctions list of the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury. The restrictions include freezing assets under US jurisdiction and banning a number of transactions involving her for US citizens and companies.

The confrontation between Washington and the ICC has been going on for more than a year. The US is not a party to the Rome Statute and denies the court's right to prosecute American citizens and representatives of allied states without the consent of their governments. At the same time, the ICC's activities are directly relevant to Ukraine: the court investigates international crimes committed during Russian aggression and has issued a number of arrest warrants for Russian officials.

Based on materials: Ukrinform