The International Criminal Court Strongly
Rejects US Sanctions Against the Institution
“This measure targets an independent judicial
institution, established by an international treaty and entrusted by 125 States Parties with
investigating and prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of
aggression.”
10 October 2026
The United States has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an institution. This unprecedented step follows a series of measures targeting thirteen independent judges and prosecutors who serve the cause of justice.
This measure targets an independent judicial institution, established by an international treaty and entrusted by 125 States Parties with investigating and prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression.
This measure represents an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and prevent the Court from carrying out the mandate for which it was established. It also constitutes an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order, striking at the fundamental principle that no one is above the law.
The decision to impose sanctions is intended to disrupt the Court’s operations and intimidate those who work for or cooperate with it. The Court, however, will not be deterred from fulfilling its mandate.
President of the International Criminal Court, Tomoko Akane, stated:
“The Court will continue to fully discharge its mandate, with independence and impartiality, acting only on the basis of the law and the evidence, for the sake of the countless victims of grave crimes.”
Nevertheless, the Court cannot stand alone in facing these challenges. Its fate now also depends on the States that established it.
The Rome Statute represents a collective commitment to ensuring that the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole do not go unpunished. However, the strength of that commitment depends on the determination of the States that made it to uphold their obligations.
The Court may face challenges, but together with its States Parties, it has made considerable efforts to ensure the continuity and resilience of its activities.
The Court calls upon States to continue taking concrete measures, including ensuring that the necessary resources and means remain available to enable it to carry out its work.
This is not merely about defending a single institution; it is about safeguarding the international order founded upon the rule of law.
No one should be punished for serving the cause of justice, and history will judge this moment.
Future generations, and above all the victims of mass atrocities, will ask how we responded when an institution established to protect them came under attack.
They will ask whether the Court stood firm, and whether the international community defended the principles it had proclaimed or allowed them to be abandoned under pressure.
End of Statement
End.