The president of the ICC said on Monday that the orders imposed by his government on senior members of the court are disturbing their personal lives, but she made clear that the institution will not bow to outside pressure.
President Donald Trump’s administration had targeted nine ICC officials, including prosecutors and judges, earlier this year in retaliation for investigations into allegations of war crimes by Israeli forces. Sources said Washington is also considering sanctions against the entire court.
No form of pressure can be accepted
“We never accept any form of pressure from anyone in matters of constitutional interpretation and administration of justice,” Judge Tomoko Akane said on the first day of the annual meeting in The Hague of the court’s governing body, which is made up of representatives from its 125 member states.
Akane said the sanctions have disrupted the personal lives of sanctioned officials and caused problems in their financial dealings, even in ICC member states in Europe.
The sanctions have frozen any assets the individuals may have in the US and effectively cut them off from the US financial system, with which nearly all international banks maintain close ties.
The warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant
The ICC has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallad, as well as officials of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, for alleged crimes committed during the Gaza war. All have denied the charges listed in the warrants.
Washington has previously sanctioned court officials for their roles in these cases and in a separate investigation into crimes in Afghanistan that initially also looked at actions by US troops.
The ICC was established in 2002 under a treaty that gives it jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes that were either committed by a national of a member state or took place on the territory of a member state.
