- The order grants Trump explicit powers to freeze assets and issue travel bans against ICC staff and their family members.
The United States of America has concluded plans to sanction the International Criminal Court, ICC, amid Isreali’s genocidal war in Gaza where over 400,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed.
The development is sequel to US president, Donald Trump, signing of an executive order authorising economic sanctions against the ICC.
Trump accused the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the US and Israel, adding that the court actions threaten the sovereignty of the US.
The order grants Trump explicit powers to freeze assets and issue travel bans against ICC staff and their family members.
The move is in response to the court’s decision in November to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.
Both men were accused of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
In the order, Trump said the ICC had “abused its power” by issuing the warrants which he claimed had “set a dangerous precedent” that endangered US citizens and its military personnel.
“This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel,” he added.
The US and Israel are not member states of the ICC, a permanent court of last resort for the prosecution of individuals accused of war crimes and atrocities.
In his order, Trump argued the court must “respect the decision” of countries “not to subject their personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction”.
Trump said the US “will impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions.”
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