ICC Condemns Trump Sanctions as UN Human Rights Office Demands Reversal

The International Criminal Court on Friday denounced U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order sanctioning the ICC in response to arrest warrants issued for Israeli leaders over their devastating 15-month military assault on the Gaza Strip.

"The ICC condemns the issuance by the U.S. of an executive order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work," the tribunal said in a statement. "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."

"We call on our 125 states parties, civil society, and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights," added the Hague-based ICC, which was established by a global treaty known as the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

A spokesperson for the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ravina Shamdasani, also slammed Trump's order targeting the ICC, which she called "a central institution of the international criminal justice system and fundamental to ensuring justice and achieving accountability for the most serious crimes."

"We fully support the independent work of the court—across all situations within its jurisdiction," Shamdasani said Friday. "We deeply regret the individual sanctions announced yesterday against court personnel, and call for this measure to be reversed."

"The court should be fully able to undertake its independent work—where a state is unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution, as stated in the Rome Statute. The court is an essential part of the human rights infrastructure," she added. "The rule of law remains essential to our collective peace and security. Seeking accountability globally makes the world a safer place for everyone."

Since Trump signed the order—which specifically cites the court's November warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant—civil society groups around the world have also spoken out against the U.S. president, who previously targeted ICC officials with sanctions during his first term.

"This reckless action sends the message that Israel is above the law and the universal principles of international justice. It suggests that President Trump endorses the Israeli government's crimes and is embracing impunity," said Amnesty International secretary general Agnès Callamard, a former U.N. special rapporteur, in a statement.

The "aggressive" and "vindictive" order, she continued, "is a brutal step that seeks to undermine and destroy what the international community has painstakingly constructed over decades, if not centuries: global rules that are applicable to everyone and aim to deliver justice for all. The sanctions constitute another betrayal of our common humanity."

"At an historic moment when we are witnessing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and the global rule of law coming under threat from multiple fronts," she argued, "institutions like the court are needed more than ever to advance human rights protections, prevent future atrocities and secure justice for victims."

Trump's sanctions will not only "embolden perpetrators," Callamard warned, "they will negatively impact the interests of all victims globally and those who look to the court for justice in all the countries where it's conducting investigations, including Darfur, Libya, the Philippines, Palestine, Ukraine, and Venezuela."

"The sanctions are also an affront to 125 member states who have collectively resolved that the court must be able to effectively pursue justice—which means it must be able to undertake independent judicial functions, such as issuing arrest warrants, for example, against Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin," said added, referring to the Russian president.

"Governments around the world and regional organizations must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of President Trump's sanctions," Callamard concluded. "Through collective and concerted actions, ICC member states can protect the court and its staff. Urgent action is needed, like never before."

While some governments, such as Hungary, have backed Trump's move, others have joined the chorus of condemnation and reiterated support for the ICC.

"We reaffirm our continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the ICC," 79 nations—including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—said in a joint statement reported by Reuters. "The court serves as a vital pillar of the international justice system by ensuring accountability for the most serious international crimes, and justice for victims."