US President Donald Trump has slapped sanctions at the Global Prison Court docket (ICC), accusing the frame of attacking Israel and america.
In an government line issued overdue on Thursday, Trump known as the court docket “illegitimate” and positioned monetary and US visa restrictions on ICC personnel and any person aiding ICC investigations towards the United States and its allies.
Trump stated arrest warrants issued by means of the ICC in November for Israeli High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of conflict crimes in Gaza, have been “baseless”. Then again, analysts have described his line for sanctions as “an assault on the rule of law”.
Here’s what we all know up to now:
What does the chief line say?
Trump’s government line claimed the ICC has “abused its power” by means of issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant and mentioned that The Hague-based court docket has taken “illegitimate” movements towards the United States and its “close ally” Israel.
Trump’s line, which coincides with Netanyahu’s discuss with to the United States, authorises sanctions and restrictions akin to asset freezes and progress bans towards ICC officers taking a look to prosecute Americans and “allies”.
The White Space outlined Israel as “a democratic state whose military strictly adheres to the laws of war”.
“The actions taken by the International Criminal Court against Israel and the United States set a dangerous precedent,” it persevered, accusing the ICC of “malign behaviour that threatens to violate American sovereignty and undermine national security and foreign policy”.
Neither the United States nor Israel are signatories to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC in 2002.
How did the former US management reply to the arrest warrants?
In November, then-US President Joe Biden known as the ICC’s arrest warrant for Netanyahu “outrageous”.
But even so the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, the ICC additionally issued an arrest warrant for Hamas army commander Mohammed al-Masri, referred to as Mohammed Deif, “for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed” in Israel on October 7, 2023 when Hamas led attacks on military outposts and villages in southern Israel wherein 1,139 population have been killed and greater than 200 have been taken captive into Gaza.
In a commentary, Biden stated: “Whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”
Israel stated it killed Deif in July in southern Gaza. Hamas showed his dying ultimate age. The ICC indicted him together with two alternative Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh – either one of whom have additionally been killed.
On January 9, the United States Space of Representatives handed regulation that will sanction the ICC in a 243-140 vote.
“America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally Israel,” Consultant Brian Mast, the Republican chairman of the Space Overseas Affairs Committee, stated in a accent earlier than the vote.
The one legislators who didn’t assistance the invoice have been Democrats. however 45 contributors of the birthday party voted for it. On January 28, the United States Senate prohibited the regulation.
How will the sanctions paintings?
Sanctioned people could also be denied access into the United States. They may even have their US belongings frozen and be denied monetary dealings with “US persons” and entities, together with banks. Entities outdoor the United States may additionally lose get right of entry to to the United States monetary machine in the event that they violate sanctions.
Sanctions violations may end up in fines and imprisonment.
Trump’s government line goals ICC personnel accountable for the court docket’s “transgressions”. Sanctions will also be implemented to personnel community contributors in addition to the ones aiding with ICC investigations.
The names of people focused by means of the sanctions have now not been spared. However earlier sanctions towards the ICC – issued in 2020 all the way through Trump’s first time period – have been aimed on the leading prosecutor and an aide who ran an ICC investigation into alleged conflict crimes by means of US squaddies in Afghanistan.
Will sanctions hinder ICC investigations into Israeli conflict crimes?
Striking ICC officers below sanctions may obstruct ongoing investigations by means of making it tougher for them to progress and get right of entry to finances. Trump’s movements additionally possibility discrediting global efforts in order conflict criminals to justice.
Yossi Mekelberg, a lecturer and Israel analyst at London-based Chatham Space, instructed Al Jazeera: “This is an attempt to intimidate the ICC as an organisation and those who work for it.” He added that the chief line may “scare people from cooperating with the ICC”.
Saul Takahashi, a lecturer of global human rights legislation at Osaka Jogakuin College in Japan, instructed Al Jazeera the oblique implications of Trump’s journey “can be very serious”.
“The executive order talks about not only sanctioning actual staff members of the ICC … but also people who cooperate with the ICC in the investigation into Israeli officials,” he stated. “We are talking about human rights activists, victims, etc. Those kind of people may be shut out of the US or face penalties.”
Neve Gordon, lecturer of legislation at Queen Mary College of London and a board member of the Global Situation Crime Initiative, stated he does now not be expecting the ICC’s “extremely courageous” personnel to go into reverse from their investigations.
Gordon instructed Al Jazeera: “Given their [ICC staff members’] history of resistance and their willingness to stand up and speak truth to power in order to uphold the law despite years of pressure, I doubt that this executive order will make them bow down.”
Will this line impede the functioning of the ICC?
In a commentary revealed on Friday, the ICC stated Trump’s government line seeks to “harm its independent and impartial judicial work” however pledged to “continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world”.
“We call on our 125 States Parties, civil society and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights,” it added.
Global monetary establishments may chorus from operating with the court docket on account of the sanctions.
“The stakes could not be higher,” Gordon stated. “Although the sanctions are aimed on the ICC and its sovereign and unbiased judicial paintings, they in truth represent an immediate assault at the post-Global Battle II global felony line.
“Via concentrated on the one global felony establishment that has enforcement capability in relation to the post-Global Battle II global felony regime, the chief line in impact undermines global humanitarian legislation, together with 1949 4 Geneva Conventions, the 1951 Genocide Conference and a sequence of global conventions in relation to rules of conflict and human rights.
“It is an assault on the rule of law.”
Mekelberg stated Trump’s journey sends a “chilling message to other international organs that if they don’t comply with the US, they might suffer”.
Then again, Takahashi stated the direct have an effect on of US sanctions at the ICC would in all probability be “limited”.
The court docket “is not in the United States. It is in The Hague in the Netherlands”, Takahashi instructed Al Jazeera, including that handiest ICC personnel with US belongings have been in danger.
What have the reactions to the line been up to now?
Trump’s government line has provoked expressions of alarm from around the globe. Eu Council President Antonio Costa stated the sanctions “undermine the international criminal justice system as a whole”.
Sanctioning the ICC threatens the Court docket’s self determination and undermines the global felony justice machine as an entire. https://t.co/zk0lsnB1p0
— António Costa (@eucopresident) February 7, 2025
The Netherlands stated it “regrets” the line, pointing out that the court docket’s paintings is “essential in the fight against impunity”. Amnesty Global labelled the journey “reckless”.
For his section, Israel’s high minister applauded Trump’s journey. On X, Netanyahu posted: “Thank you, President Trump, for your bold ICC executive order. It will defend America and Israel from the anti-American and antisemitic corrupt court.”
High Minister Benjamin Netanyahu:
Thanks, President Trump, in your daring ICC Govt Line. It is going to shield The united states and Israel from the anti-American and antisemetic corrupt court docket that has incorrect jurisdiction or foundation to have interaction in lawfare towards us.— High Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) February 7, 2025
In the meantime, Israeli Overseas Minister Gideon Saar stated he “strongly” recommended Trump’s government line.
“The ICC aggressively pursues the elected leaders of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East,” Saar wrote on X. “The ICC has no jurisdiction – Israel and the US are not parties to the Rome Statute and are not members of the ICC. They are thriving democracies with militaries strictly adhering to international law.”