Trump Administration Imposes Sanctions on ICC Officials Amid Global Backlash

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Trump Administration Imposes Sanctions on ICC Officials Amid Global Backlash
Photo: The Guardian US
politics· A press review of 8 outlets
  1. Today, the Trump administration announced sanctions against two International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, President Tomoko Akane of Japan and the ICC’s senior trial lawyer, Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the organization “corrupt and fatally politicized.” This follows Rubio last month setting the proverbial cat among the pigeons, declaring his intentions to “dismantle” the ICC — urging other nations to join the effort. Rubio launched the campaign, vowing to employ “all the tools at our government’s disposal” to “dismantle the ICC, brick by brick.”

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    Washington Examiner

    Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday announced sanctions against the president of the International Criminal Court and a senior trial lawyer as the Trump administration seeks to isolate the international tribunal over what it says are efforts to undermine U.S. sovereignty.

    Associated Press

    The Trump administration has now slapped sanctions on nine of the ICC’s 18 judges, both of its deputy prosecutors, its former chief prosecutor and one other prosecution office staffer, the court said. The U.S. accuses the court of overstepping its mandate by investigating and seeking to prosecute senior military and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.

    Washington Times

    The Trump administration has now slapped sanctions on nine of the ICC’s 18 judges, both of its deputy prosecutors, its former chief prosecutor and one other prosecution office staffer, the court said. The U.S. accuses the court of overstepping its mandate by investigating and seeking to prosecute senior military and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.

    The Guardian US

    The Trump administration has now slapped sanctions on nine of the ICC’s 18 judges, both of its deputy prosecutors, its former chief prosecutor and one other prosecution office staffer, the court said. The US accuses the court of overstepping its mandate by investigating and seeking to prosecute senior military and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.

    BBC News

    Rubio said the US was sanctioning ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal following an order from President Donald Trump's targeting the court last year.

    The Hill

    ICC rips latest US sanctions on senior staff: ‘Flagrant attack’ The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday slammed the U.S. over sanctions targeting senior staff, vowing to continue to seek out justice after what they described as a “flagrant attack” on the global tribunal’s independence. The sanctions were made against court president Judge Tomoko Akane and the Office of the Prosecutor’s senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye…

    Reuters

    Japan says US sanctions on ICC, President Akane 'very unfortunate' - Reuters Japan says US sanctions on ICC, President Akane 'very unfortunate'  Reuters

  2. Human Rights Watch and three other groups sued the Trump administration last week to challenge its campaign against the ICC. The complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, says that Trump’s executive order last year targeting the Hague-based criminal court and the U.S. sanctions issued against a U.N. human rights expert and three Palestinian rights groups represent a “blatantly illegal attack on international justice and should be struck down,” according to a press release.

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    Washington Times

    Human Rights Watch and three other groups sued the Trump administration last week to challenge its campaign against the ICC. The complaint, filed in the Southern District of New York, says that Trump’s executive order last year targeting the Hague-based criminal court and the U.S. sanctions issued against a U.N. human rights expert and three Palestinian rights groups represent a “blatantly illegal attack on international justice and should be struck down,” according to a press release.

    The Guardian US

    Human Rights Watch and three other groups sued the Trump administration last week to challenge its campaign against the ICC. The complaint, filed in the southern district of New York, said Trump’s executive order last year targeting The Hague-based criminal court and the US sanctions issued against a UN human rights expert and three Palestinian rights groups represent a “blatantly illegal attack on international justice and should be struck down”, according to a press release.

    BBC News

    Human Rights Watch, the Open Society Institute, the American Friends Service Committee and the Center for Constitutional Rights said in their lawsuit filed in New York that the sanctions prevented them from working with the court to seek justice for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity around the world.

  3. The ICC, which was established in 2002, has international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in member states or if a situation is referred by the UN Security Council.

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    Washington Examiner

    The ICC prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The U.S. has never joined the court and has argued that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over Americans without U.S. consent. Other major powers, including China and Russia, also remain outside the court.

From the margins

6 details only one outlet reported

Independent claims that didn't surface elsewhere in our corpus. Treat as supplementary — not corroborated across outlets.

  1. 01 The Guardian US

    In a statement, the court said that when “judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk”. It said the court “will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality”.

  2. 02 Washington Times

    In a statement, the court said that when “judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk.” It said the court “will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality.”

  3. 03 Associated Press

    In a statement, the court said that when “judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk.” It said the court “will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality.”

  4. 04 Washington Examiner

    “In honor of our Declaration of Independence, Americans will never be transported beyond seas to be tried for pretend offenses,” Rubio added in a social media statement.

  5. 05 BBC News

    The ICC has been approached for comment. Neither President Trump nor the White House has so far commented.

  6. 06 The Daily Wire

    But the new trigger for the White House’s intensifying punitive action against the ICC is the scandalous issue of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Assembled from 3 corroborated claims drawn from 8 independent outlets. Every passage above is taken verbatim — Dorothy doesn't paraphrase or summarize.

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Sources (8)

  • dailywire
  • ap
  • thehill
  • guardian
  • washexaminer
  • bbc
  • washtimes
  • reuters

Original Articles (10)