Trump’s sanctions on ICC are a brazen attack on international law, the UK must stand with the court
7th February 2025- President Trump has signed an executive order that will sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC), placing financial and visa sanctions on individuals and their immediate family who assist ICC investigations against Israelis and Americans.
The Executive Order comes after last week’s efforts to pass a bill entitled the ‘Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act’ in Congress. The bill hit a stumbling block when it received 54 votes in favour and 45 against, falling short of the 60 votes required for it to go ahead to a final vote. Instead, Trump has issued an Executive Order to implement the sanctions.
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) wrote to the Foreign Office on the 5th February, highlighting the risk that an Executive Order may be used to implement this policy. As a state party to the Rome Statute, the UK must stand behind the ICC, reiterating its support for the Court’s independence in the same manner it did in July 2020 after the Trump administration sanctioned some ICC staff. The UK’s commitment to supporting the court cannot be allowed to wane, following this even more extensive measure.
The ICC’s work in the situation in Palestine is time-sensitive and so far, one of the only effective accountability tools that might ensure those responsible for international crimes are held to account. Any sanctions targeting the Court or persons involved with the Court would not only obstruct justice as it did in 2020 but would also endanger the interests of victims and witnesses.
These actions, alongside other policies implemented by Trump’s administration since his inauguration, expose not only a blatant disregard to international law and accountability, but a dangerous trend of their clear intent to obstruct accountability and justice for Palestinians. In this critical moment, the UK must offer more than rhetorical support; it requires concrete action.
The U.S. has not signed the Rome Statute, which means that it is not a State Party to the ICC. However, Americans and Israelis who commit crimes in areas where it does have jurisdiction can still be charged. Palestine has been a State member since 2014, accepting ICC jurisdiction in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt).
ICJP Director Tayab Ali said:
It is deeply troubling that the United States, already a non-party to the ICC, has chosen to go further by directly attacking its legitimacy. This brazen interference is a grave assault on the international legal order and sets a dangerous precedent for undermining judicial independence. The U.S. has long positioned itself as a champion of human rights and accountability, yet its actions here reveal a clear agenda to obstruct justice, particularly when it risks exposing its own complicity in atrocities, including the unfolding genocide in Gaza.
There can be no equivocation or hesitation in response to this. The UK Government must demonstrate principled leadership by standing firm against Trump’s coercive tactics, unequivocally supporting the ICC, and condemning this reckless assault on international justice. If Downing Street is truly committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that war criminals are held to account, it must act decisively and without delay.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
1. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians is an independent organisation of lawyers, politicians and academics who support the rights of Palestinians and aim to protect their rights through the law.
2. ICJP wrote to the Foreign Office on several issues of US policy on the 5th February 2025, including on the issue of ICC sanctions. The press release can be read here and the full letter can be read here.
3. For more information, or to arrange an interview with an ICJP spokesperson, please contact the ICJP news desk at press@icjpalestine.com.