Seventy-nine countries, including Nigeria, the UK, and France, have condemned Donald Trump's sanctions on the ICC after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials. The ICC president warned that the move threatens global justice. Nations reaffirmed their support for the court's independence despite U.S. and Israeli opposition.
Seventy-nine countries, including Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and Denmark, have strongly criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The sanctions targeted individuals involved in ICC investigations into alleged war crimes by American and Israeli officials.
Trump accused the ICC of making unjustified decisions and claimed it was unfairly targeting the U.S. and its ally, Israel. His administration imposed financial and visa restrictions on those assisting ICC investigations, particularly after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over actions in Gaza.
The ICC argued that there was sufficient evidence to charge Netanyahu and Gallant for directing attacks on civilians. The court also issued a warrant for a Hamas commander, prompting Trump to condemn the move as creating a false moral equivalence between Hamas and Israel.
ICC President Tomoko Akane warned that Trump's sanctions threatened the court’s independence and denied justice to victims of war crimes. She called on member states and civil society to protect the ICC from political pressure.
In response, 79 nations released a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to the ICC's independence and operations. Countries that signed include France, Ghana, South Africa, Switzerland, and Mexico.
The U.S. and Israel are not ICC members, but the sanctions have sparked global concern over attempts to weaken international justice mechanisms. The signatories emphasized their determination to uphold the ICC’s authority despite external threats.
