International Criminal Court in The Hague says it is ‘undeterred’ after US sanctions threat
White House National Security adviser John Bolton on Monday threatened to arrest and sanction court officials should they move to charge any American who served in Afghanistan with war crimes; the court on Tuesday said its work would continue ‘undeterred’
The International Criminal Court on Tuesday said it was “undeterred” after Washington threatened to prosecute its judges if Americans are charged with war crimes committed in Afghanistan.
France and Germany also weighed in to support the Hague-based court after White House National Security Adviser John Bolton said the ICC was “already dead to us”.
“The ICC, as a court of law, will continue to do its work undeterred, in accordance with those principles and the overarching idea of the rule of law,” the tribunal said in a statement.
In a further show of support, the court’s overseeing body said it received “strong cooperation and backing” from its 123 member states as well as from other states, international organisations and civil society.
Key states spoke up to defend the ICC, which was set up in 2002 with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute the world’s worst crimes including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.