WASHINGTON, Feb 7 (NNN-AGENCIES) — In his latest batch of executive orders Thursday, President Donald Trump imposed economic and travel sanctions against International Criminal Court personnel involved in investigations of Americans and US allies, namely Israel.
The Trump administration did not immediately release the names of those whom the sanctions would target. The immediate family members of the ICC personnel will also be punished. The sanctions will include freezing property and assets and suspension of entry into the US.
“The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant,” Trump said in the executive order.
Last year, top ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant stating his office found evidence to show the Israeli leaders bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including starvation of civilians and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population.
At the same time, Khan’s office issued arrest warrants for leaders of Hamas for similar crimes including rape as a war crime, taking hostages, and torture as a war crime.
Trump signed a similar order during his first term in office, imposing sanctions on top ICC officials. When President Joe Biden took office, he removed those sanctions via executive order. When Trump took office again last month, he used another executive order to rescind Biden’s executive order.
Thursday’s executive order followed Netanyahu’s visit to the White House that concluded in Trump announcing the US should “take over” Gaza.
“Neither country has ever recognized the ICC’s jurisdiction, and both nations are thriving democracies with militaries that strictly adhere to the laws of war. The ICC’s recent actions against Israel and the United States set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former United States personnel, including active service members of the Armed Forces, by exposing them to harassment, abuse, and possible arrest,” Trump said.
Thursday’s action didn’t come as much of a surprise. Top ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan was asked in a recent interview about the possibility of Trump bringing back the sanctions of his first administration.
“The important thing to remember is that this court…was created because there was a realization after Nuremberg and a realization today that humanity and science can take us to the stars but we can also destroy ourselves,” Khan said. “We don’t go after anybody. We follow the law. We have, and the judges of the ICC decided before I was elected that we had jurisdiction in the Palestine state case.”BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
In anticipation of sanctions against the ICC in a Republican-controlled Washington, the American Civil Liberties Union warned sanctions against the ICC “would raise serious constitutional concerns and deal a grave blow to human rights accountability, including investigations the United States has supported.” — NNN-AGENCIES
