The International Criminal Court described as "a flagrant attack" against its independence the announcement of a new round of US sanctions targeting its president and a senior prosecutor. The tribunal stated in a statement that the measures constitute an assault on a judicial institution acting in accordance with the mandate conferred by its State Parties.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday new sanctions against the Court's president, Tomoko Akane, and chief prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye. Washington, which is not a party to the Rome Statute, has argued that it fears the tribunal could prosecute US citizens for serious crimes.
UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said that Secretary-General António Guterres was "seriously concerned" about the US measure and continued sanctions against other Court staff. Dujarric stated that the UN considers the Court a fundamental pillar of international criminal justice.
The Court emphasised that "the international rule of law itself is at risk" when judges are threatened for applying the law. The tribunal stressed that threats and coercive measures affect the ability of victims to seek justice, and said it would continue to fulfil its mandate with independence and impartiality.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called the new sanctions "unacceptable" and called for them to be lifted. Volker Türk reiterated his call on states to defend the institutions they have created to promote human rights and rule of law, and to protect Court officials who are targets of reprisals.
