Media Wire Express Correspondent
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has become the first individual subjected to economic and travel sanctions imposed by U.S.
President Donald Trump, targeting the war crimes tribunal for its investigations into U.S. citizens and allies, according to two sources who spoke to Reuters on Friday.
Khan, a British national, was included in an annex of an executive order signed by Trump the previous day, which has not yet been made public. This information was confirmed by a senior ICC official and another source, both of whom requested anonymity to discuss the confidential matter.
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The sanctions involve freezing the U.S. assets of those designated and prohibiting them and their families from entering the United States. The order instructed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, in consultation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to present a report within 60 days identifying individuals who should be sanctioned.
On Friday, the ICC condemned the sanctions, vowing to support its staff and “continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities around the world, in all situations before it.” Court officials convened in The Hague on Friday to deliberate on the implications of the sanctions.
The International Criminal Court (ICC), established in 2002, has the authority to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in member states or when situations are referred by the U.N. Security Council.
On Friday, numerous countries cautioned that U.S. sanctions could “increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and threaten to erode the international rule of law.” A statement from the 79 countries—representing about two-thirds of the ICC’s members—asserted that “sanctions would severely undermine all situations currently under investigation, as the Court may have to close its field offices.”
Under an agreement between the United Nations and Washington, Prosecutor Karim Khan should be able to travel regularly to New York to update the U.N. Security Council on cases referred to the ICC in The Hague, including those concerning Libya and Sudan’s Darfur region. Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq stated on Friday, “We trust that any restrictions imposed on individuals would be executed in accordance with the host country’s obligations under the U.N. Headquarters agreement.” Khan was in New York last week to brief the Security Council on Sudan.
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Haq emphasized, “International criminal law is crucial in combating impunity, which is unfortunately widespread. The International Criminal Court is a vital component of this effort and must be allowed to operate independently.”
Trump’s recent action on Thursday—mirroring steps he took during his first term—coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington. Netanyahu, along with his former defense minister and a leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, is wanted by the ICC regarding the conflict in Gaza. During a visit to the U.S. Congress on Friday, Netanyahu lauded Trump’s decision, labeling the court as a “scandalous” institution that “threatens the right of all democracies to defend themselves.”
Source: Reuters
