European Union leaders have reaffirmed their support for the International Criminal Court after the United States imposed sanctions on its president and a senior lawyer…reports Asian Lite News Desk
European Union leaders on Wednesday voiced strong support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), a day after the United States imposed sanctions on two senior officials of the Hague-based tribunal.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa said on X that they stood firmly with the ICC, its President Tomoko Akane and officials working to uphold its mission.
“The ICC helps deliver justice to the victims of some of the world’s most horrific crimes,” they said, stressing that the court’s judges and officials must be able to carry out their work independently and without external pressure.
The Trump administration on Tuesday announced sanctions against Akane and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye as Washington intensified its campaign against the court.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two officials had “directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.”
“The ICC has repeatedly attempted to assert authority over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction or ratified the Rome Statute,” Rubio said. “This sets a dangerous precedent for all nations.”
The sanctions generally prevent US persons from conducting transactions with Akane and Seye and effectively restrict their access to the US financial system.
The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and has rejected the court’s attempts to exercise jurisdiction over nationals of non-member states, including US personnel and Israeli officials.
Tensions between Washington and the ICC escalated after the court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza conflict.
The ICC has maintained that it has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed on the territory of member states, regardless of the nationality of the suspects.
The latest US sanctions have drawn renewed attention to the broader dispute over the court’s jurisdiction and independence, with the EU reaffirming its backing for the institution and its officials.
Tags: EU, European Union, ICC, International Criminal Court, US sanctions, Tomoko Akane, Abdoulaye Seye, Ursula von der Leyen, Antonio Costa, Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Gaza conflict, Benjamin Netanyahu
