A group of United Nations experts has described the recent U.S. sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as “alarming” and “a display of hostility.” This was reported on Friday by the Turkey-based Anadolu Agency.
In their statement, the experts said that the move constitutes interference in the ICC’s independent operations and could undermine global efforts to hold perpetrators of heinous crimes accountable. They further commented that the sanctions on judges and prosecutors primarily promote impunity and send a message to the world that power and influence, rather than justice, are the ultimate arbiters.
A few days ago, the United States imposed new sanctions on two ICC judges and two deputy prosecutors. Earlier, Washington had taken similar measures against four other judges and the ICC’s chief prosecutor.
The UN experts have called on the U.S. administration to immediately revoke these sanctions. At the same time, they urged the European Union to implement its “blocking statute” to protect ICC officials.