US politicians are threatening to sanction court officials over an arrest warrant against Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu.
The president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has warned that attacks on the tribunal, which have come largely from Washington and Moscow, “threaten its very existence”.
Addressing ICC members in The Hague on Monday at the annual conference, ICC President Tomoko Akane said the court was facing “coercive measures, threats, pressure and sabotage” without naming the United States and Russia.
After this, the court faced criticism from both countries Issuing arrest warrants For Israeli and Russian officers in the wars Gaza And Ukraine.
Akane said in her speech that another permanent member of the Security Council has threatened the court with severe financial sanctions as if it were a terrorist organization.
US politicians threaten to impose sanctions on ICC officials after tribunal issues arrest warrant against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over suspected war crimes in Gaza.
Last month, US Senator Lindsey Graham, whose Republican party took control of both houses of Congress and the White House in January, called the ICC a “dangerous joke” and lashed out at the court and any country that cooperates with it.
“Any allies — Canada, Britain, Germany, France — if you try to help the ICC, we’re going to let you,” Graham said on Fox News.
In June, Republican controlled The US House of Representatives passed the bill To approve the court in response to ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for an arrest warrant against Israeli officials.
The measure has not yet been considered by the Senate, which Democrats control at this point.
After the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and a Hamas leader last month, US Senator Tom Cotton The use of military force is suggested Against the tribunal based in The Hague.
The US and Israel are not members of the ICC, and they have rejected court investigations into alleged abuses in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.
However, the court has ruled that it has jurisdiction over those territories because the State of Palestine is a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the tribunal.
“The court has been subjected to attacks – coercive measures, threats, pressure and acts of sabotage – that seek to undermine its legitimacy and ability to administer justice and realize international law and fundamental rights,” Akane said.
He called the efforts “terrible.”
Last week, the court denied the “recent issuance of arrest warrants intended to undermine the independence and integrity of two judges”. In November, Russia issued an arrest warrant for ICC judge Haykel Ben Mahfoud.
Moscow previously indicted Khan and other court officials after issuing arrest warrants for the ICC president. Vladimir Putin And Russian military leaders over alleged war crimes committed during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
Akane warned on Monday that the collapse of the court through these threats “signals the collapse of the rule of law in the international community”.
“Victims are no longer able to get justice. Many of them cannot imagine a world without the ICC,” the ICC president said.
“We firmly reject any attempt to influence the independence and impartiality of the judiciary,” he said.
ICC It was established in 2002 for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression when member states are unwilling to do so themselves.
Its warrant against Israeli leaders marks the first time the court has issued an order to a staunchly close Western ally.
