ICC ‘under assault’ by US, Russia—rights watchdog
A global rights watchdog on Monday urged members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is currently handling the case of former President Rodrigo Duterte, to protect the “court of last resort” against attacks from countries like the United States and Russia.
In a statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said state parties to the Rome Statute will be meeting at The Hague, the Netherlands, from Dec. 1 to Dec. 6 for the annual session of the ICC’s Assembly of State Parties.
Fight vs impunity
The group noted that the meeting is taking place amid “important” achievements by the ICC, including the arrest and surrender of Duterte by the Philippine government last March, even as the country withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.
However, HRW said the ICC is currently “under assault” by countries such as the United States, which has issued sanctions against the court’s officials and others supporting its work that “could severely set back the global fight against impunity.”
“Government efforts to undermine the ICC reflect broader attacks on the global rule of law, aiming to disable institutions that seek to hold those responsible for the worst crimes to account,” Liz Evenson, HRW international justice director, said in the statement.
“ICC member countries need to stay firm in their defense of the court so that impartial justice remains a critical part of the rules-based international order,” she added.
Sanctions
US President Donald Trump issued an executive order last February authorizing asset freezes and entry bans against an ICC prosecutor, two deputy prosecutors, and six of the court’s judges.
HRW expressed concern that financial institutions, which often comply with US sanctions, may preemptively refuse transactions with the ICC, jeopardizing its work in other countries.
Noting how over 80 ICC state parties have issued joint or individual statements condemning the US sanctions, HRW said “they can build on these at the session to demonstrate that they will not be deterred in their support.”
Aside from the United States, HRW pointed out that warrants of arrest issued by Russia against ICC officials in 2023 and 2024 remain pending, while ICC member countries Italy, Hungary, and Tajikistan recently failed to cooperate in the arrest of individuals wanted by the court and had been in their territories.
