By Quds News Network
New York (Quds News Network)- Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), is the first individual to face sanctions authorized by former US President Donald Trump. These sanctions target the war crimes tribunal for its investigations into US citizens and allies, including Israel.
Khan, who is British, was named on Monday in an annex to an executive order signed by Trump last Thursday imposing sanctions on the ICC for targeting the US and Israel, Reuters reported.
Trump’s Order
Trump’s order places financial and visa sanctions on individuals and their family members who assist in ICC investigations of US citizens or US allies.
Actions may include blocking property and assets and not allowing ICC officials, employees, and relatives to enter the US.
Genocide Case
The order accuses the ICC of engaging in “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel” and of abusing its power by issuing “baseless arrest warrants” against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Chief Yoav Gallant.
In November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza assault launched in October 2023, which lasted for 15 months.
Neither the US nor Israel is a member of or recognizes the court.
“The ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel,” the order states, adding that the court had set a “dangerous precedent” with its actions against both countries.
The order comes after a visit to the White House by Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC.
ICC Response
In response, the ICC condemned the order as an attempt to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work.”
“The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all Situations before it,” a statement by the court read.
The International Criminal Court, which opened 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 U.N. Security Council.
Under an agreement between the United Nations and Washington, Khan should be able to regularly travel to New York to brief the U.N. Security Council on cases it had referred to the court in The Hague.
Not First Sanctions
The first Trump administration imposed sanctions on the ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and her deputy in 2020 when the court investigated US war crimes in Afghanistan. This time, the sanctions are linked to the court’s investigation into Israel.
Trump’s 2020 sanctions were reversed under the presidency of Joe Biden, who conditionally backed ICC investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
On his first day back in the Oval Office last month, Trump reversed Biden’s ending of the 2020 sanctions.
The US is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC and has had a rocky relationship with the court since its establishment in 2002.
Condemnations
“We trust that any restrictions taken against individuals would be implemented consistently with the host country’s obligations under the U.N. Headquarters Agreement,” deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said on Friday.
Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said the order “suggests that President Trump endorses the Israeli government’s crimes and is embracing impunity.”
Callamard said the sanctions will harm the interests of victims in countries where the court is investigating atrocities, not only in Palestine but also in Sudan, Libya, the Philippines, Ukraine, and Venezuela.
“Governments around the world and regional organizations must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of President Trump’s sanctions. Through collective and concerted actions, ICC member states can protect the Court and its staff. Urgent action is needed, like never before.”
“Victims of human rights abuses around the world turn to the International Criminal Court when they have nowhere else to go, and President Trump’s executive order will make it harder for them to find justice,” said Charlie Hogle, staff attorney with American Civil Liberties Union’s National Security Project.
“The order also raises serious First Amendment concerns because it puts people in the United States at risk of harsh penalties for helping the court identify and investigate atrocities committed anywhere, by anyone.”
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, said on X that the ICC “must be able to freely pursue the fight against global impunity”.
“Europe will always stand for justice and the respect of international law,” she said.
The Netherlands, which hosts the court, said it “regrets” Trump’s order.
“The court’s work is essential in the fight against impunity,” Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp said on X.
Last month, the US House of Representatives voted to sanction the ICC, but the bill foundered in the Senate.
In response to efforts to what they described as attempts to challenge the ICC’s authority, nine nations – including South Africa and Malaysia – launched the ‘Hague Group’ last month to defend the court and its rulings.
13 February 2025
Source: countercurrents.org