Brussels-Rome, 12 June 2020
No Peace Without Justice firmly rejects the recent actions of the US Government in imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. We stand in solidarity with the ICC, its officials and staff and their family members in their continuing work towards justice and redress for victims of the worst crimes known to humanity.
These most recent actions represent an escalation in what was already an unprecedented attack against an institution committed to upholding the rule of law, with visa restrictions imposed last year and ICC staff members mentioned by name as “targets” earlier this year. Freezing assets and revoking immigrant and non-immigrant visas of staff members and their families, especially without any kind of notice, as authorised in the Executive Order, for supposed “transgressions” is simply unacceptable.
It is one thing for the US not to want to join the ICC or to cooperate with it in investigations and prosecutions with which they disagree; that is their decision, regrettable as it may be. It is, however, another thing to impose wholesale sanctions against people for their mere association with the ICC, or with someone who works at the ICC. This would appear to violate basic human rights and due process requirements enshrined within US law itself. We continue to believe that these actions by US officials constitute an offence against the administration of justice under article 70 of the Rome Statute, in particular “retaliating against an official of the Court on account of duties performed by that or another official”, that can and should be investigated and prosecuted before the ICC.
States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court must raise their voices in support of the Court and in support of the victims on whose behalf the Court works. States Parties should use all diplomatic means necessary to encourage the United States to revoke this appalling order and scale back their attacks. We encourage the Foreign Ministers of European Union member States to prioritise this matter during their video discussion on Monday and develop a swift and coordinated response that unequivocally extends their support to the ICC, its officials and staff and their family members at a time when it is most needed.
For further information, contact Alison Smith, Director Of International Justice, on asmith@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini, Press & Public Affairs Coordinator, on ngiovannini@npwj.org org.
