The EU condemns the extension of US sanctions against the International Criminal Court.

The United States has expanded sanctions against the International Criminal Court targeting its president, Judge Tomoko Akane, and senior prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye. The EU states that the measures undermine the Court's work, while the ICC and the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties warn about the pressure exerted on investigations, judges, prosecutors, and victims' access to justice.

The European Union condemned the expansion of American sanctions against the International Criminal Court after the United States included the president of the ICC, Judge Tomoko Akane, and senior prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye, on the list of sanctioned individuals. The Court states that now nine of its 18 judges are sanctioned by Washington, and the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties warns that the intensification of these measures risks affecting ongoing investigations and efforts to hold accountable for the most serious international crimes.

In short

The United States has expanded sanctions against the ICC targeting the Court's president, Judge Tomoko Akane from Japan, and Abdoulaye Seye from Senegal, senior prosecutor in the Office of the Prosecutor.

The EU states that sanctions against the Court, its officials, and its staff undermine its work and reaffirm support for the independence and integrity of the ICC.

Following the new designations, the ICC states that now nine of its 18 judges, both deputy prosecutors, a former prosecutor, and a staff member are under American sanctions.

The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties considers that the expansion of sanctions risks affecting ongoing investigations and international efforts to ensure accountability for serious crimes and justice for victims.

The ICC states that it will continue its work independently and impartially, and the Assembly of States Parties calls on states that support the Rome Statute to remain united in support of the Court.

The United States has expanded sanctions targeting the staff of the International Criminal Court to two new individuals from its leadership and prosecution structures: the president of the Court, Judge Tomoko Akane from Japan, and Abdoulaye Seye from Senegal, senior prosecutor in the Office of the Prosecutor.

The European Union reacted on August 19, stating that it deeply regrets the decision and that its support for the ICC remains unchanged. Brussels describes the Court as a central element of the international criminal justice system and believes that it must be able to exercise its mandate without pressure, intimidation, or external interference.

The EU warns that sanctions directed against the Court, its officials, and its staff undermine its work. The High Representative reaffirmed the Union's commitment to the Rome Statute and stated that the EU will continue to support the protection of the independence and integrity of the institution.

The International Criminal Court has rejected the new measures, describing them as an attack on the independence of an impartial judicial institution. The ICC emphasizes that its mandate was granted by the states parties to the Rome Statute and that judges, prosecutors, and other staff must be able to exercise this mandate without threats or coercive measures.

The new sanctions add to previous designations that targeted the leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor and several judges. According to the ICC, now nine of the Court's 18 judges are sanctioned by the United States, along with both deputy prosecutors, a former prosecutor, and a staff member.

The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties confirms the same expansion and speaks of an escalation in the use of sanctions against the Court's officials and staff. The body, which brings together states that have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute, states that the new measures come after the sanctioning of the leadership of the Office of the Prosecutor and eight judges, before the ICC president became the ninth targeted judge.

The Presidency of the Assembly explicitly warns about the effect that this pressure can have on judicial activity. In its assessment, the expansion of sanctions risks undermining ongoing investigations and hindering international efforts to establish accountability and provide justice for victims of the most serious crimes.

This wording adds a concrete dimension to the European reaction. The EU speaks of undermining the Court's work, while the representative body of the states parties indicates the possibility that pressure on judges, prosecutors, and staff may affect investigations and the exercise of the functions for which the ICC was created.

The Assembly of States Parties believes that sanctions erode the common commitment to the rule of law, combatting impunity, and maintaining a rules-based international order. Its presidency calls on states parties and other actors in the Rome Statute system to maintain support for the Court and for the principles of international justice.

The ICC separately expresses concern regarding victims. The Court states that threats and coercive measures against those who enforce the law can affect individuals who turn to the institution after other avenues for obtaining justice have been exhausted.

The Court deals with individual responsibility for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and other offenses within its jurisdiction. Its statement does not assert that the new sanctions have already blocked a specific case, but it supports that pressures on judicial staff can affect the conditions under which the institution carries out its activities and, implicitly, the interests of victims who depend on its procedures.

The ICC states that it will not modify its activities as a result of the sanctions and that it will continue to exercise its mandate independently and impartially, in accordance with the Rome Statute. The institution reaffirms its support for its own staff and for victims of international crimes and states that it will continue to work with states parties and other partners.

The three reactions from August 19 thus complement each other without being identical. The EU emphasizes the independence of the Court and the effect of sanctions on its functioning, the ICC highlights the extent of the measures affecting its judges and prosecutors and the consequences for victims, while the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties warns about the risk to ongoing investigations and international efforts for accountability.

None of the three statements detail the legal arguments invoked by the American administration for the new designations nor the specific restrictions applied to the two sanctioned individuals. The analyzed documents do not announce any new economic or legal response from the European Union against the United States.

The European reaction remains, at this stage, one of political and institutional support for the ICC. The EU states that it will continue to provide support for the protection of the Court and its staff against external pressures or threats.

The International Criminal Court operates based on the Rome Statute, and the Assembly of States Parties is its administrative and legislative oversight body. It consists of representatives of states that have ratified or acceded to the Rome Statute.

The Presidency of the Assembly currently consists of President Päivi Kaukoranta from Finland and Vice Presidents Michael Imran Kanu from Sierra Leone and Margareta Kassangana from Poland. The position published on August 19 thus represents the reaction of the leadership of the body of states that support the legal framework under which the ICC operates.

After the new sanctions, half of the 18 judges of the Court are under American measures, along with both deputy prosecutors, a former prosecutor, and a staff member. The EU, ICC, and the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties assert that this expansion may affect the independence and work of the institution, while the Court states that it will continue its mandate.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/ue-condamna-extinderea-sanctiunilor-sua-impotriva-curtii-penale-internationale