ICC: Biden revokes Trump executive order sanctioning International Criminal Court officials

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Blinken also said the State Department has ended another Trump-era policy aimed at imposing visa restrictions on some ICC officials.

“These decisions reflect our assessment that the measures adopted were inappropriate and ineffective,” he said.

The reversal of the Trump administration’s punitive actions towards the ICC has been applauded by human rights organizations.

In June 2020, former President Donald Trump authorized additional sanctions and visa restrictions on International Criminal Court staff in an attempt by the administration to firmly arm the international body with an investigation on potential war crimes by US military and intelligence officials.
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Three months later, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced sanctions against ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the head of the Jurisdiction, Complements and Cooperation Division. of the ICC, Phakiso Mochochoko. The Trump administration revoked Bensouda’s U.S. entry visa in 2019.

The Trump administration’s retaliatory measures came after the ICC authorized an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan by US and Afghan forces, as well as alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the Taliban. They followed a push from Bensouda to investigate potential crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians. She officially opened an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Israel in the Palestinian territories, as well as alleged war crimes committed by militant Palestinian groups like Hamas, in March of this year.

The September 2020 sanctions were swiftly condemned by the international tribunal, human rights organizations and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, where the ICC is based.

In his statement on Friday, Blinken said they “continue to strongly disagree with the actions of the ICC relating to the situations in Afghanistan and Palestine.”

“We maintain our long-standing objection to the Court’s efforts to assert jurisdiction over the personnel of non-party states such as the United States and Israel. We believe, however, that our concerns regarding these cases would be better addressed through engagement with all stakeholders in the ICC process rather than through the imposition of sanctions, ”he said.

“We are encouraged that States parties to the Rome Statute are considering a wide range of reforms to help the Court prioritize its resources and fulfill its fundamental mission of serving as a court of last resort to punish. and deter atrocity crimes. We believe this reform is a worthwhile effort, ”added Blinken.

“Our support for the rule of law, access to justice and accountability for mass atrocities are important US national security interests that are protected and advanced by engaging with the rest of the world to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow, “he said.

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