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ICC Condemns Trump Sanctions 02/07 06:43
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) -- The International Criminal Court on Friday
called on its member states to stand up against sanctions imposed by U.S.
President Donald Trump, saying that the move was an attempt to "harm its
independent and impartial judicial work."
And the embattled court got plenty of support from traditional U.S. allies
in Europe who stood up against the Trump measure.
"Sanctioning the ICC threatens the court's independence and undermines the
international criminal justice system as a whole," said European Council
President Antonio Costa, who heads the summits of the European Union's 27
leaders. It was the toughest direct criticism to a decision by Trump by a top
EU official since he took office again last month.
The White House issued the executive order on Thursday in response to what
it called "illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close
ally Israel."
The U.S. and Israel aren't members of the court and don't recognize it's
authority, and Trump's order was a response to the arrest warrant that the ICC
issued last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war
crimes in Gaza.
Tens of thousands of Palestinians, including children, have been killed
during the Israeli military's response to Hamas' attack on southern Israel that
killed around 1,200 people in October 2023. The figure of Palestinians killed
is provided by Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't distinguish between
fighters and civilians.
The Hague-based court said that it "condemns" the move by the Trump
administration.
"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," the court said in a statement.
"We call on our 125 States Parties, civil society and all nations of the
world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights," it said.
And many did.
Germany will await the concrete effects of the sanctions, but clearly showed
where its sympathy lies.
"The ICC is one of the greatest accomplishments of international criminal
law," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer said. "We as Germany
support the ICC and will continue to do so."
She noted that countries that are parties to the ICC rallied behind the
court when Trump took similar measures in his first term, and "we as Europeans
and Germany will remain one of the biggest supporters of the ICC."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the court "must
be able to freely pursue the fight against global impunity. Europe will always
stand for justice and the respect of international law."
The order said that the U.S. would impose "tangible and significant
consequences" on those responsible for the ICC's "transgressions." Actions may
include blocking property and assets and not allowing ICC officials, employees
and relatives to enter the United States.
The U.S. Treasury and State Department will determine which people and
organizations will be sanctioned.
The ICC caught the wrath of the United States in November, when a pretrial
panel of judges issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defense
minister and Hamas' military chief, accusing them of war crimes and crimes
against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza.
The warrants said that there was reason to believe that Netanyahu and former
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used "starvation as a method of warfare" by
restricting humanitarian aid and have intentionally targeted civilians in
Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza --- charges Israeli officials deny.
On Friday, human rights groups have criticized the decision.
"US sanctions against ICC officials would be a gift to those around the
globe responsible for mass atrocities. Sanctions are for human rights
violators, not those working to hold rights abusers to account," Liz Evenson,
international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
"Trump's executive order borrows a page out of Russia's playbook, which has
sought to obstruct the court's work through arrest warrants against its judges
and prosecutor," Evenson said.
Court officials had been preparing for sanctions for months. In January, the
court gave staff a three-month advance on their salaries, two court insiders
told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't
authorized to speak to media.
At least two senior staff members at the court have resigned since Trump was
elected in an effort to avoid sanctions.
The Netherlands, which hosts the court, has also condemned Trump's order.
"The Netherlands regrets the executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC. The
court's work is essential in the fight against impunity," Foreign Affairs
Minister Caspar Veldkamp said in a statement.
People in the Dutch government say the Netherlands has been trying to assist
the court in shielding itself from the fallout.
In an increasingly polarized Western world, Hungary stood side by side with
Trump.
"The ICC has recently turned itself into a biased political tool and has
discredited the entire international court system," Foreign Minister Pter
Szijjrt said. "Its decisions have also only contributed to exacerbating
insecurity in already difficult parts of the world."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said that "the ICC's actions are
immoral and have no legal basis."
It is the second time that Trump has gone after the court. During his
previous term in office, he imposed sanctions on former prosecutor Fatou
Bensouda and one of her deputies over her investigation into crimes committed
in Afghanistan. U.S. President Joe Biden lifted the sanctions when he took
office in 2021.
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