The administration of President Donald Trump is reportedly preparing to impose sweeping sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). According to reports from The Wall Street Journal and Reuters, these measures would target the institution itself, potentially disrupting its financial operations, information technology services, and ongoing investigations.
The proposed sanctions would prohibit most transactions with the Hague-based tribunal following a grace period of six to seven months. If implemented, the policy would generally bar United States citizens and companies from providing the court with money, goods, or services without a license from the US Treasury. Officials familiar with the matter indicated that a final decision could be reached during the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week or shortly thereafter.
ICC leadership has previously cautioned that such broad sanctions could hinder the court’s ability to manage routine payments, including staff salaries, and procure essential services like insurance and IT support. The United States is not a member of the ICC, which was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
This development represents an escalation of the administration’s existing campaign against the court. In February 2025, President Trump signed an executive order that led to sanctions against more than a dozen individual ICC judges and prosecutors. Most recently, in August, the administration added ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye to the sanctions list, with those restrictions taking effect on September 17.
Tensions between Washington and the court intensified following the ICC’s November 2024 issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The Trump administration has argued that the court has exceeded its authority by pursuing officials from non-member nations. Additionally, the US has long opposed ICC investigations into alleged abuses in Afghanistan involving American personnel.
In July, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a diplomatic campaign to isolate the court and encouraged other nations to withdraw their membership. Meanwhile, four US-based rights groups filed a lawsuit against the administration in August, alleging that current sanctions interfere with their legal and human rights advocacy work.
Article source: www.aljazeera.com | Image credit: www.aljazeera.com