Trump signs executive order to sanction ICC staff

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Feb 2025 04:31
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The order will give the president power to sanction any ICC staff member involved in pursuing arrest warrants against US citizens or individuals from allied governments, including Israelis.

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United States President Donald Trump holds an executive order regarding withdrawing from the United Nations Human Rights Council in the Oval Office of the White House, on February 4, 2025. (AP)

United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing economic sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Trump said that the court has taken "illegitimate and baseless actions" against the US and "Israel".

As per the order, the US president now has broad powers to freeze assets and impose travel bans on ICC staff and their families. The sanctions would be imposed if Washington determines that staff members are involved in efforts to investigate or prosecute Americans and some of the US's allies, including Israelis.

Trump claimed that the ICC has "abused its power" by issuing arrest warrants, which he believed "set a dangerous precedent." The US president said that the warrants endanger US citizens and US military personnel.

"This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel," Trump asserted.

The warrants issued by the ICC for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant followed months of deliberation by the court. The ICC issued these warrants for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by the top Israeli officials. Prosecutor Karim Khan had also requested arrest warrants for martyred Palestinian Resistance leaders and Hamas Political Bureau chiefs Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, as well as al-Qassam Chief of Staff martyr Mohammad Deif. However, the Palestinian leaders were all martyred in battle or assassinated by Israeli occupation forces.