US sanctions ICC’s top prosecutor
The United States has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan over arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The freeze on Khan’s US assets, along with a travel ban preventing him and his family from entering the country, was enacted through an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on February 6. The order argues that the ICC’s actions have “set a dangerous precedent” by subjecting Americans to “harassment, abuse, and possible arrest.”
“The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants,” the order reads.
The US Department of the Treasury confirmed Khan’s addition to the “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons” list, preventing Americans from conducting business with him.
The ICC has condemned the sanctions, asserting its commitment to “justice and hope for millions of innocent victims of atrocities.”
The United Nations also criticized the US move, emphasizing the ICC’s role as “a fundamental pillar of international justice.”
The US has historically not recognized the ICC’s authority. In 2020, the Trump administration sanctioned Khan’s predecessor, Fatou Bensouda, over investigations into US actions in Afghanistan; those sanctions were later lifted by President Joe Biden.
The US, however, praised Khan after he issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children in 2023. Moscow dismissed the order as “null and void.”
The recent sanctions have drawn international criticism. A joint statement from 79 ICC member states warned they could “erode the international rule of law.”
Khan, elected ICC prosecutor in 2021, previously led the UN Investigative Team for Daesh/ISIL crimes in Iraq and has worked in multiple international tribunals.
An agreement between the UN and the US typically allows ICC officials to travel to New York for briefings. It remains unclear how the sanctions will affect Khan’s ability to fulfill these duties.
Earlier this month, the US House of Representatives voted to impose sanctions canceling US visas and placing financial restrictions on any ICC officials prosecuting Washington’s “allies.”
The development comes less than two weeks after the Israeli prime minister’s visit to Washington, during which he praised the US action against the court. Khan had previously accused Netanyahu and Gallant of “the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population” in Gaza.
