WASHINGTON,— U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized economic and travel sanctions against individuals involved in International Criminal Court (ICC) investigations into U.S. citizens and allies such as Israel, the White House announced Thursday.
The move has sparked international criticism, though some have voiced support.
The ICC, based in The Hague, prosecutes individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and acts of aggression committed on the territory of member states or by their nationals.
The United States is not a member of the court, nor are China, Russia, or Israel.
Trump’s decision coincided with a visit to Washington by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is facing an ICC investigation over the war in Gaza.
European leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, condemned the sanctions.
“Sanctions are the wrong tool,” Scholz said Friday. “They threaten an institution meant to ensure dictators cannot simply persecute people and start wars. This is crucial.”
Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, wrote on Bluesky that targeting the ICC “undermines the international criminal justice system as a whole.”
The Netherlands, which hosts the ICC, also expressed regret over the sanctions.
The ICC criticized the decision, saying it fully supports its staff and remains committed to delivering justice and hope to millions of victims of serious crimes around the world.
According to sources, court officials held emergency meetings in The Hague on Friday to assess the impact of the sanctions.
The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets of designated individuals and bar them and their families from traveling to the United States. It remains unclear when the first names of sanctioned individuals will be announced.
In 2020, during Trump’s first term, the U.S. sanctioned then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and a top aide over an investigation into alleged war crimes by American troops in Afghanistan.
Trump’s executive order comes after Senate Democrats blocked a Republican-led bill last week that sought to create a formal sanctions framework against the ICC.
The ICC has taken steps to mitigate potential financial challenges. According to sources, court officials authorized paying staff salaries three months in advance to counteract possible funding disruptions.
In December 2024, ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane warned that sanctions could seriously disrupt the court’s work and even put its future at risk.
Russia has also taken actions against the ICC. In 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin over allegations of the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
In response, Moscow barred ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan from entering the country and placed him, along with two ICC judges, on its wanted list.
The U.S. State Department has not yet provided details on how the new sanctions will be enforced or which ICC officials may be affected.
(With files from Reuters)
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