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For Immediate Release
April, 02 2021, 12:00am EDT
Contact:
Jen Nessel, Center for Constitutional Rights, (212) 614-6449, jnessel@ccrjustice.org
Biden Repeal of Trump International Criminal Court Sanctions Welcome but Overdue, Say Lawyers for Victims at ICC
Victims in Palestine Afghanistan, and victims of U.S. torture deserve justice without delay.
WASHINGTON
In response to the Biden administration's revocation of a Trump-era Executive Order and sanctions against International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and senior aide Phakiso Mochochoko, the Center for Constitutional Rights issued the following statement:
Trump's sanctions set a dangerous precedent for attacks on victims, lawyers, human rights advocates, and courts, and Biden's repeal is a welcome - if overdue - step toward curtailing U.S. obstruction of accountability at the International Criminal Court for the most serious crimes. Prosecutor Bensouda righty moved to open an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine and Afghanistan, including of U.S. torture, because grave and widespread crimes against civilians in both situations had gone unpunished. Both the United States and Israel had the opportunity to investigate and hold their own citizens accountable for international crimes - and failed to do so. Victims have the right to turn to the ICC as a court of last resort to end impunity. These investigations must now proceed expeditiously.
With the odious Executive Order rescinded, the United States has an opportunity to reset its relationship with the ICC - and justice issues more broadly. It can demonstrate that its pledge to "stand against human rights abuses wherever they occur, regardless of whether the perpetrators are adversaries or partners" is more than just rhetoric. To do so, it must cease efforts to undercut the independence of the ICC, whether through direct threats or punishments on those seeking justice, or through proxies seeking to exercise influence over the court's docket through decisions about its budget. It must affirmatively support victims and their advocates and denounce smear campaigns against them. And it must cease speaking of "peace" and "justice" as binary choices rather than mutually reinforcing principles.
The last four years were marked by utter disregard for human rights and the rule of law. To turn that page, the United States must finally make good on the mantra that "no one is above the law" by allowing long overdue justice efforts against the powerful, including U.S. and Israeli citizens, at the ICC to proceed. Victims deserve justice without further delay.
The Center for Constitutional Rights represents victims in both the ICC investigation into the Situation in Afghanistan, which includes investigation of U.S. torture in Afghanistan and CIA blacksites/proxy detention on ICC Member States' territory, and the Situation in Palestine.
The Center for Constitutional Rights is dedicated to advancing and protecting the rights guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. CCR is committed to the creative use of law as a positive force for social change.
(212) 614-6464LATEST NEWS
New GOP Senate Leader Is a Former Lobbyist Who Has Taken Aim at Social Security
Sen. John Thune "has called for taking the debt limit hostage to force cuts to Social Security," warned one defender of the nation's most effective anti-poverty program.
Nov 13, 2024
Senate Republicans on Wednesday elected Sen. John Thune of South Dakota—a former corporate lobbyist and close ally of Sen. Mitch McConnell—as the leader of their conference for the upcoming term, when the GOP will have a 53-seat majority.
Republican lawmakers chose Thune over Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who was favored by allies of President-elect Donald Trump.
"Senators have received angry phone calls from constituents demanding to know how their representatives plan to vote, following MAGA world's embrace of Scott," The Washington Postreported. The leadership election was conducted via secret ballot.
In a statement Wednesday, Thune said he is "extremely honored to have earned the support" of the Senate GOP conference and stressed that "this Republican team is united behind President Trump's agenda."
"Our work starts today," Thune added.
"It's a new day in the United States Senate."
After being elected Senate Republican Leader, Sen. John Thune says, “We are excited to reclaim the majority and to get to work with our colleagues in the House to enact President Trump’s agenda.” https://t.co/sMMVVx2PxT pic.twitter.com/GylMysaA3V
— ABC News (@ABC) November 13, 2024
Before winning election to the Senate in 2004, Thune worked as a lobbyist for several sectors including the railroad industry. The Leverreported last year that as part of his lobbying work for the Dakota, Minnesota, and Eastern (DM&E) Railroad, Thune "helped the company procure a $230 million loan from the Federal Railroad Administration."
"In 2015, Thune reprised his advocacy for the rail industry, leading an effort to repeal an Obama administration regulation requiring improved, electronic braking systems on some hazmat trains," the outlet added. "The following year, he received the first-ever 'Railroad Achievement Award' presented by the Association of American Railroads, the industry's main lobbying group."
Thune is also "one of the biggest recipients of oil and gas money in Congress," the youth-led Sunrise Movementnoted Wednesday following his election as leader of the incoming GOP Senate.
Over the course of his Senate career, Thune has received more than $1.16 million in campaign donations from the fossil fuel industry, according to the campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets.
Thune's top contributor between 2019 and 2024 was the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the right-wing pro-Israel lobbying group.
"Thune has called for taking the debt limit hostage to force cuts to Social Security."
Thune will take the reins of the Senate GOP conference as the party readies another round of tax cuts for the rich and large corporations—one of Trump's top priorities. Thune is a leading advocate of repealing the estate tax, a move that would benefit a small number of wealthy Americans.
Congress is also barreling toward another potentially damaging fight over the debt ceiling, which is set to be reinstated on January 2, 2025.
Thune has previously expressed support for leveraging the debt limit—and the threat of a catastrophic default—to secure steep cuts to federal spending and possible changes to Social Security such as raising the retirement age, which would slash benefits across the board.
Social Security Works, a progressive advocacy group, voiced alarm over Thune's debt ceiling stance following his election as Senate Republican leader on Wednesday.
"Thune has called for taking the debt limit hostage to force cuts to Social Security," Nancy Altman, the group's president, said in a statement.
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Dems in Congress Vow to Fight 'Inflationary Policies' of Trump
"Make no mistake: imposing new tariffs, mass deportations, and politicizing the Federal Reserve will lead to skyrocketing prices," said the Joint Economic Committee chair.
Nov 13, 2024
Leading Democratic lawmakers used new federal inflation data on Wednesday to renew their warnings about the economic threat posed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and pledge to keep fighting for working America—despite minorities in Congress.
"Democrats continue to fight to lower costs, and we saw promising signs last month that the cost of energy, groceries, and new vehicles stabilized. But with President-elect Trump in office, the reality for Americans' finances will become bleak," said Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC).
Throughout Trump's campaign against Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, JEC Democrats released reports warning about Project 2025, a sweeping far-right policy plan for the next Republican president. Although Trump tried at times to distance himself from the Heritage Foundation-led initiative, it was crafted by at least 140 people who served in his first administration—and since Election Day, there have been clear signals from the president-elect's allies that "yeah actually Project 2025 is the agenda."
Heinrich said that "Trump and Republicans have led Americans to believe that their policies will lower costs, but make no mistake: imposing new tariffs, mass deportations, and politicizing the Federal Reserve will lead to skyrocketing prices. And that's only a sample of the inflationary policies Republicans have laid out in their Project 2025 playbook."
"Democrats have built a strong economy with smart policies that empower workers, grow the middle class, and lower costs for families. Meanwhile, Trump's policies will only help his CEO friends and ultimately lead to a weaker economy," he continued. "Democrats' commitment to families will not end because of a new Trump administration. We'll continue fighting to ease the financial burdens on families and ensure everyone across the country feels relief."
"American families cannot afford more Republican 'trickle-down' economics that throws the middle class under the bus while slashing taxes for billion-dollar corporations."
Congressman Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.), ranking member of the House Budget Committee, responded similarly to the consumer price index (CPI) data on Wednesday, declaring, "Make no mistake: Trump's tariffs are taxes by another name—and it is hard-working American families who will pay the price."
"While today's report continues to show the progress we've made under the Biden-Harris administration, CEOs are already talking about raising prices for consumers in response to Trump's tax hikes," Boyle noted.
NPRreported last week that "forecasters at Pantheon Macroeconomics project that a 10% tariff would increase inflation by about 0.8 percentage points next year and impose an additional drag on U.S. manufacturers." Companies warning of price hikes if Trump's tariffs are implemented include AutoZone, Columbia Sportswear, and Stanley Black & Decker.
"I am deeply concerned that Trump's plans will force Americans to pay higher prices for everything from clothing to groceries," Boyle said. "American families cannot afford more Republican 'trickle-down' economics that throws the middle class under the bus while slashing taxes for billion-dollar corporations."
Steven Mnuchin, Trump's former treasury secretary, recently toldCNBC that tariffs, sanctions on Iran, and tax cuts will be top issues for Trump—despite Congressional Budget Office analysis that extending tax cuts the Republican passed in his first term to serve wealthy individuals and corporations would add $4.6 trillion to the national deficit.
"The top priority is extending the Trump tax cuts and the signature part of his program. I think that should be easy to pass in Congress, particularly if the Republicans control the House as well," Mnuchin said last week. Since then, decision desks have confirmed Republicans will retain their House majority, in addition to seizing control of the Senate and Oval Office.
Senate Republicans elected Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) as their next leader on Wednesday, just hours after the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that, as expected, the CPI increased 0.2% in October and prices grew 2.6% over the last year. Economists said the data means the Federal Reserve will likely cut interest rates again next month.
Trump is set to be inaugurated in January and has suggested he may try to oust Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whom he appointed in 2017, despite legal barriers. Powell—who has faced criticism from some economists and progressive lawmakers for holding off on rate cuts for so long, at the expense of the working class—seems prepared to fight for his job.
As Fortunereported Monday:
During a news briefing on Thursday after the Fed cut rates, Powell was asked if he would resign if Trump demanded it, and Powell simply replied "no." Later he was asked if he thought a president has the authority to fire or demote a Fed chair or other Fed official in a leadership post, and Powell said, "Not permitted under the law."
That exchange prompted Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to post on X, "The executive branch should be under the direction of the president. That's how the Constitution was designed. The Federal Reserve is one of many examples of how we've deviated from the Constitution in that regard. Yet another reason why we should #EndTheFed.”
Tesla CEO Elon Musk... then reposted it with a "100" emoji that indicates strong support.
Amid a wave of Cabinet picks, Trump announced Tuesday that Musk—the world's richest person and a leading supporter of his campaign—and fellow billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy will lead the not-yet-created Department of Government Efficiency, which will work to "dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies."
As Common Dreamsreported, Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the watchdog group Public Citizen, responded to the news by warning that "'cutting red tape' is shorthand for getting rid of the safeguards that protect us in order to benefit corporate interests."
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'Uphold the Law': 9 Arrested at White House Demanding Arms Embargo on Israel
"Keep your word," one protest organizer urged the Biden administration. "Enact an arms embargo to impose a cease-fire and end our complicity in Israel's horrific war crimes in Gaza."
Nov 13, 2024
Nine people were arrested Tuesday while blocking an entrance to the White House in Washington, D.C. to demand the Biden administration "uphold U.S. laws, which require an arms embargo on Israel" given the key Mideast ally's well-documented human rights violations during its 13-month assault on Gaza.
Demonstrators led by the Democrats for Human Rights coalition sat in a roadway in front of a White House gate with banners reading "Israel Uses Starvation as a Weapon" and "Uphold the Law: Arms Embargo Now."
Three women who resigned from the Biden administration over its support for Israel's obliteration of Gaza— Lily Greenberg Call, Stacy Gilbert, and Anna Del Castillo—joined the demonstration, as did 88-year-old Holocaust survivor Marione Ingram.
"Police are arresting us now," organizer Kai Newkirk, who co-chairs the Arizona Democratic Party Progressive Council, said on social media Tuesday evening.
Last month, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin gave the far-right Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 30 days to show that it had taken "urgent and sustained actions" to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza or face a possible suspension of armed aid.
"As [President Joe] Biden's 30-day deadline for Israel to stop violating our laws in Gaza expires, we are sitting in and peacefully blocking the gate at the White House," Newkirk said before his arrest. "U.S. law requires an arms embargo. As Democrats for Human Rights, we call upon Biden to uphold the law: arms embargo now!"
The U.S. State Department sparked worldwide anger Tuesday with its determination that Israel is not violating humanitarian law, even as its forces have killed at least 43,000 Palestinians, wounded more than 103,000 others, and displaced, starved, or sickened millions more while blocking desperately needed humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
"We will not be moved," vowed Newkirk, who added that the Biden administration's deadline "cannot come and go with no action to mark it and hold him accountable.
"Uphold the law," he said. "Keep your word. Enact an arms embargo to impose a cease-fire and end our complicity in Israel's horrific war crimes in Gaza."
Domestic legislation including the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 and Leahy Laws prohibit U.S. aid to human rights violators. However, the U.S. government has given aid to many human rights violators since those laws were enacted, including most of the world's dictatorships and the perpetrators of genocidal violence in Indonesia, Paraguay, Guatemala, Bangladesh, East Timor, Kurdistan, and—according to many experts—Gaza.
Since the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, the U.S. has approved tens of billions of dollars in military assistance for Israel, even as the International Court of Justice in The Hague reviews South Africa-led allegations of Israeli genocide in Gaza.
"Humanitarian leaders have stated that conditions in Gaza have only grown worse over the 30 days, with World Food Program Director Cindy McCain saying famine has now set in," Newkirk said.
Human rights and humanitarian relief groups accuse Israel of causing " apocalyptic" conditions in northern Gaza, where thousands of civilians including many women and children have been killed or wounded in recent weeks and many others face imminent famine under a plan to starve and ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the area in order to facilitate Israeli occupation and possible recolonization.
On Tuesday, a coalition of eight international humanitarian organizations published an
analysis detailing how Israel has not fully complied with any of the Biden administration's 19 specific demands in its 30-day warning.
The report's authors asserted that the publication underscores "Israel's failure to comply with U.S. demands and international obligations."
"Israel should be held accountable for the end result of failing to ensure the adequate provision of food, medical, and other supplies to reach people in need," the report argues.
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