Association for Defending Victims of Terrorism – The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday noted “with concern” the imposition by the United States of sanctions against the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and another senior official, in the latest of a series of unilateral policy moves against the body.
The court has faced criticism from the US since it was founded in 2004, and along with Russia and China, remains one of a dozen countries that have declined to sign up to its jurisdiction.
Mr. Pompeo made the accusation as The Hague-based court probes whether US forces have committed alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
On behalf of the UN chief António Guterres, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric acknowledged the US statement, saying, “we continue to closely follow developments on this matter”.
“We will be analyzing any possible implications that this development may have with respect to the implementation of the Agreement”, he continued.
The new measures “are another attempt to interfere with the Court’s judicial and prosecutorial independence and crucial work to address grave crimes of concern to the international community as mandated under the ICC Rome Statute”, said the ICC in a statement released late on Wednesday.
“These coercive acts, directed at an international judicial institution and its civil servants, are unprecedented and constitute serious attacks against the Court, the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice, and the rule of law more generally.”
The Court said it would continue to “stand firmly by its personnel and its mission of fighting impunity for the world’s most serious crimes under international law, independently and impartially, in accordance with its mandate.
“In doing so, the Court benefits from the strong support and commitment of two thirds of the world’s States which are parties to the Rome Statute.”
the President of the Assembly in ICC O-Gon Kwon said that:” I strongly reject such unprecedented and unacceptable measures against a treaty-based international organization. They only serve to weaken our common endeavor to fight impunity for mass atrocities.
