US announces new sanctions on top ICC figures

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions against the president and a elder lawyer of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The move is the Trump administration's latest escalation successful its run to "dismantle" the tribunal which is empowered by much than 120 personnel countries to analyse warfare crimes.

Rubio said the US was sanctioning ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal for engaging successful the ICC's efforts to "prosecute officials whose authorities has not consented to ICC jurisdiction".

The ICC said it stands behinds its unit and judge that measures specified arsenic those announced by Rubio "undermine the norm of law."

Rubio accused the tribunal of being "a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational tribunal that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate. We will not tolerate its battle connected authorities sovereignty."

Neither President Trump nor the White House has truthful acold commented.

The Trump management has already announced sanctions connected astatine slightest 11 ICC officials, including 9 judges and the main prosecutor.

The sanctions see plus freezes, recreation bans, and restrictions connected services from U.S. companies.

Those sanctions were issued successful retaliation for ICC investigations into US unit successful Afghanistan and for warrants the tribunal issued against apical Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged warfare crimes successful Gaza.

Netanyahu has denied allegations of warfare crimes and accused the tribunal of being motivated by antisemitism. Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC.

Trump's guidance to the tribunal dates backmost to his first word successful office, erstwhile he first described the ICC arsenic a "threat" and told the UN General Assembly that it has "no jurisdiction, nary legitimacy, and nary authority" arsenic acold arsenic the US is concerned.

Last month, Rubio called connected the ICC's 125 personnel countries to retreat from the tribunal arsenic portion of a US authorities run to dismantle it "brick by brick".

Amid a increasing unit campaign, a US charismatic said Washington would "watch pinch interest" who heeded its telephone and who did not.

The ICC, which was established successful 2002, has ⁠international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and warfare crimes successful personnel states aliases if a business is referred by the UN Security Council.

Rights organisations person pushed backmost against what they position arsenic the Trump administration's attempts to undermine world rule and stifle efforts to combat impunity by governments astir the world.

"The Trump management seeks a get-out-of-jail-free paper for whomever it chooses," said Liz Evenson, world justness head astatine Human Rights Watch, during a property convention past week.

Evenson's comments came arsenic 4 starring US quality authorities groups sued the Trump management complete its run to dismantle the ICC, calling it unconstitutional.

Human Rights Watch, ⁠the Open Society Institute, the American Friends Service Committee and the Center for Constitutional Rights said successful their suit revenge successful New York that the sanctions prevented them from moving pinch the tribunal to activity justness for genocide, warfare crimes and crimes against humanity astir the world.

In June, 3 ICC judges besides sued the management successful a New York national tribunal complete sanctions imposed connected them past year, arguing the measures were unlawful.

Judges Kimberly Prost of Canada, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin said the sanctions were designed to exert extrajudicial unit pinch the nonsubjective of punishing and coercing the judges.

At the time, a White House charismatic said that Trump had lawfully exercised his authority nether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) successful imposing the sanctions.

Sanctions severely hamper individuals' abilities to transportation retired moreover regular financial transactions arsenic immoderate banks pinch ties to the US, aliases that behaviour transactions successful dollars, are expected to person to comply pinch the restrictions.

Since Trump returned to office, his management - spearheaded by Rubio - has taken a overmuch much fierce guidelines towards the court.

In a July video connection announcing the run to dismantle the court, Rubio accused the ICC of "waging a warfare against our country" pinch "statutes, compacts and the unit of alleged world law".

"Today, it threatens each facet of our governmental and ineligible system," he added. "If they judge they tin deprive america of our sovereignty, we will thatch them the afloat meaning of American resolve."

(With further reporting from Bernd Debusmann Jr)