ICC condemns new U.S. measures as an attack on international law

The court said it would continue its work after Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a ban on transactions with the institution.

The International Criminal Court condemned a U.S. announcement to prohibit transactions with the institution, calling it an attack on international law and the foundations of the legal order. In a statement on October 9, the court said the measures aimed to intimidate its staff and disrupt its work, but pledged to continue its mandate independently and impartially.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would ban transactions with the ICC, which he called a “rogue court.” The announcement marked a new step in the Trump administration’s long-running confrontation with the institution. The court urged its 125 member states to support it, saying its future also rests with the countries that created it.

ICC President Tomoko Akane said the court would act on the basis of law and evidence in the interests of victims of grave crimes. The statement said future generations would ask how governments responded when an institution created to protect victims came under pressure.