The European Union lamented the United States thoroughly by approving four International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, including one citizen from the Bloc, Betty Holler of Slovenia, further deepening the gaps in its transatlantic allies.
Sanctions that also targeted the people of Benin, Uganda and Peru were announced Thursday by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He said it was based on the court’s investigation of “unfounded, politicized” war crimes.
The second investigation led to an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Natayan and former Defence Minister Joa Garant. Judge Holler ruled in favor of the order.
As a result of countermeasurethe four judges are unable to access property and assets in the US soil, preventing them from doing business with American entities. Prohibited Interference risk The ability of a magistrate to do his daily work.
“We call on our allies to stand with us against this dishonest attack,” Rubio said.
Rubio’s appeal was met with opposing reactions. Emphatic support and strong refusal to sanctions based on the Hague.
“The ICC must be the perpetrator of the world’s most serious crimes, give a voice to the victims and be able to act freely without pressure,” said Ursula von der Reyen, president of the European Commission.
“We will always respect global justice and international law.”
Antonio Costa, chairman of the Council of Europe, expressed a similar message.
“The EU strongly supports the International Criminal Court, the cornerstone of international justice,” Costa wrote on social media.
The ICC “is not against the state, it is against immunity. We must protect its independence and integrity. The rule of law must prevail against the rules of power.”
High-ranking representative Kaja Karas emphasized that the ICC must be “free from pressure and remain faithful to its principles.”
The Netherlands, which serves as the host country of the ICC, also expressed strong condemnation, emphasizing that court work should remain “as unhindered as possible.”
“The Netherlands has disapproved of new sanctions against officials in the International Criminal Court,” Dutch Foreign Minister Kasper Verdkamp said.
“Independent international courts and courts must be able to carry out their work without obstacles. We stand firm behind the courts.”
Extraterritorial effect
Rejecting “pressure on judicial institutions” as the Slovenian government I said It would provide Judge Betty Hawler with “all the support needed to perform her mission in the current situation.”
The country called on Brussels to quickly activate what is called Blocking methoddecades-long regulations aimed at protecting EU individuals and businesses from the territorial application of sanctions by non-EU countries.
The law was introduced in response to sanctions that Washington introduced in 1996 against Cuba, Iran and Libya.
The blocking laws came back to the fore in 2018 when the first Donald Trump administration withdrew from Iran’s nuclear deal.
Brussels sought to mitigate the harmful effects of these secondary sanctions, but many European companies voluntarily cut ties with Iran for fear of losing access to America’s highly profitable dollar-based markets.
A spokesman for the committee said executives would “keep the meaning closely before deciding on the next step,” including the activating blocking laws that rely on the qualified majority of member states. “You have to take one step at a time,” the spokesman said.
in statementthe ICC argued that “continue its work in accordance with the principles of Roman law and fairness and justifiable processes.”
“Targeting people who work for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict. It only sparks people who believe they can act with immunity,” it said.
“These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, but also target all those who support the courts, including national citizens and business organizations. They aim to innocent victims in all circumstances before the court.”
The United States, not a party to the Roman law of 1998, has long developed a tense relationship with the ICC. The arrest warrant for Netanyahu met in bipartisan denunciation in Washington. It prompted a new attack By the Trump administration.
Earlier this year, Hungary publicly opposed the ICC by ignoring the warrant and inviting Netanyahu to Budapest. Later Hungary announcement The intention is to withdraw from Roman law and become the first member of the country to do so.
This article has been updated with more responses.
