Washington, Aug 18 (V7N)- Amnesty International has strongly condemned the latest US sanctions imposed on officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), describing the move as a “blatant attack on the international justice system.”
Erika Guevara Rosas, a representative of Amnesty International, made the remarks in a social media post while criticizing Washington's decision to target senior ICC officials.
The United States recently imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane and the court's senior trial lawyer, Abdoulaye Saye.
Guevara Rosas said the sanctions were part of a growing US campaign aimed at intimidating the ICC and undermining its efforts to ensure accountability for serious international crimes.
She argued that the issue was not about national sovereignty, but about punishing individuals involved in investigating and prosecuting crimes under international law and protecting those in positions of power from accountability.
The Amnesty representative called on countries to immediately and publicly reject such countermeasures and urged them to protect the independence of the ICC.
She said the court must be able to carry out its work without intimidation, political pressure or interference. According to her, an international judicial institution such as the ICC should not be prevented from investigating and prosecuting serious international crimes through sanctions or other forms of retaliation.
The latest dispute comes amid longstanding tensions between the United States and the ICC over the court's investigations into alleged international crimes.
In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel rejected the ICC's decision, describing the court's action as “anti-Semitic” and arguing that the warrants had no legal basis.
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