SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
sanctions
ICC Condemns Trump Sanctions as UN Human Rights Office Demands Reversal
"The rule of law remains essential to our collective peace and security," said a United Nations spokesperson.
Feb 07, 2025
The International Criminal Court on Friday denounced U.S. President Donald Trump's executive order sanctioning the ICC in response to arrest warrants issued for Israeli leaders over their devastating 15-month military assault on the Gaza Strip.
"The ICC condemns the issuance by the U.S. of an executive order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work," the tribunal said in a statement. "The court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all situations before it."
"We call on our 125 states parties, civil society, and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights," added the Hague-based ICC, which was established by a global treaty known as the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
A spokesperson for the United Nations' Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Ravina Shamdasani, also slammed Trump's order targeting the ICC, which she called "a central institution of the international criminal justice system and fundamental to ensuring justice and achieving accountability for the most serious crimes."
"We fully support the independent work of the court—across all situations within its jurisdiction," Shamdasani said Friday. "We deeply regret the individual sanctions announced yesterday against court personnel, and call for this measure to be reversed."
"The court should be fully able to undertake its independent work—where a state is unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution, as stated in the Rome Statute. The court is an essential part of the human rights infrastructure," she added. "The rule of law remains essential to our collective peace and security. Seeking accountability globally makes the world a safer place for everyone."
Since Trump signed the order—which specifically cites the court's November warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant—civil society groups around the world have also spoken out against the U.S. president, who previously targeted ICC officials with sanctions during his first term.
"This reckless action sends the message that Israel is above the law and the universal principles of international justice. It suggests that President Trump endorses the Israeli government's crimes and is embracing impunity," said Amnesty International secretary general Agnès Callamard, a former U.N. special rapporteur, in a statement.
The "aggressive" and "vindictive" order, she continued, "is a brutal step that seeks to undermine and destroy what the international community has painstakingly constructed over decades, if not centuries: global rules that are applicable to everyone and aim to deliver justice for all. The sanctions constitute another betrayal of our common humanity."
"At an historic moment when we are witnessing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Russia's aggression against Ukraine, and the global rule of law coming under threat from multiple fronts," she argued, "institutions like the court are needed more than ever to advance human rights protections, prevent future atrocities and secure justice for victims."
Trump's sanctions will not only "embolden perpetrators," Callamard warned, "they will negatively impact the interests of all victims globally and those who look to the court for justice in all the countries where it's conducting investigations, including Darfur, Libya, the Philippines, Palestine, Ukraine, and Venezuela."
"The sanctions are also an affront to 125 member states who have collectively resolved that the court must be able to effectively pursue justice—which means it must be able to undertake independent judicial functions, such as issuing arrest warrants, for example, against Benjamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin," said added, referring to the Russian president.
"Governments around the world and regional organizations must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of President Trump's sanctions," Callamard concluded. "Through collective and concerted actions, ICC member states can protect the court and its staff. Urgent action is needed, like never before."
While some governments, such as Hungary, have backed Trump's move, others have joined the chorus of condemnation and reiterated support for the ICC.
"We reaffirm our continued and unwavering support for the independence, impartiality, and integrity of the ICC," 79 nations—including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom—said in a joint statement reported by Reuters. "The court serves as a vital pillar of the international justice system by ensuring accountability for the most serious international crimes, and justice for victims."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Trump Sanctions on ICC Decried as 'Lawless Israel First' Policy
"Instead of kowtowing to Israel and doing the bidding of its genocidal government, the president should act in the interests of our nation," said one critic.
Feb 06, 2025
Amid global outrage over U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to take over the war-torn Gaza Strip, the Republican also faced criticism on Thursday for his executive order sanctioning the International Criminal Court.
"Bullying the International Criminal Court is a desperate tactic to intimidate those who uphold international law and seek accountability for Israeli war crimes in Gaza," said Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) national executive director Nihad Awad in a statement.
"It's a 'lawless Israel first' policy that further damages the reputation of the United States, which has already been harmed greatly by our nation's complicity with Israel's genocide in Gaza," he continued. "Instead of kowtowing to Israel and doing the bidding of its genocidal government, the president should act in the interests of our nation."
According toNewsNation, which first reported on Trump's order, it was "originally set to be signed Tuesday and pushed back due to a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu," the subject of an ICC arrest warrant over Israel's assault on Gaza.
"It is obvious that President Trump wants no oversight of his actions or those of the far-right Israeli government of indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu."
The ICC in November also issued related warrants for former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri. Neither Israel nor the United States—which arms Netanyahu's government—are parties to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the tribunal for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
The court "has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel," Trump's order claims. "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 targeting" Netanyahu and Gallant.
"The ICC's recent actions against Israel and the United States set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former United States personnel, including active service members of the armed forces, by exposing them to harassment, abuse, and possible arrest," the order adds, citing a 2002 U.S. law that opponents call the Hague Invasion Act, which empowers the president to use military force to free any American or citizen of an ally held by the court.
"Americans want more oversight on those in power, not less," Awad argued. "From his firing of independent U.S. inspector generals to this order, it is obvious that President Trump wants no oversight of his actions or those of the far-right Israeli government of indicted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu. American greatness relies on check and balances, never on one man's whims."
During Trump's first term, he sanctioned ICC officials and revoked the chief prosecutor's visa. His new order, NewsNation reported, "will put financial and visa sanctions on individuals and family members who help the ICC investigate U.S. citizens or allies."
According to NBC News, a White House fact sheet on the order says that "the ICC was designed to be a court of last resort," and "both the United States and Israel maintain robust judiciary systems and should never be subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC."
Charlie Hogle, staff attorney with ACLU's National Security Project, said in a statement that "victims of human rights abuses around the world turn to the International Criminal Court when they have nowhere else to go, and President Trump's executive order will make it harder for them to find justice. The order also raises serious First Amendment concerns because it puts people in the United States at risk of harsh penalties for helping the court identify and investigate atrocities committed anywhere, by anyone. This is an attack on both accountability and free speech."
Sanctioning ICC staff and their families "because they did their job in investigating U.S. torture and advancing justice for Palestinians in the face of Israel's 15-month total assault on Gaza is a direct attack on the rule of law," declared Vincent Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. "The broad scope of the executive order is intended to embolden perpetrators across the world and to inhibit the pursuit of international justice against the most powerful."
Center for International Policy's vice president of government affairs, Dylan Williams, argued that Trump's order "continues his march to make America a pariah state" and "provides succor to brutal dictators, aggressors, and other human rights abusers around the world whom he admires."
"It is not a coincidence that Trump's move against the ICC comes just hours after he proposed that the United States carry out a crime against humanity in Gaza."
"It is not a coincidence that Trump's move against the ICC comes just hours after he proposed that the United States carry out a crime against humanity in Gaza, while standing next to a man wanted by the court to answer for war crimes in that territory," Williams said. "The objective of attacking the court is to ensure absolute impunity for those, like both of them, who seek to act unrestrained by any law."
"States that are party to the Rome Statute should reaffirm and carry out their obligations with respect to the court, including the consistent enforcement of its duly issued warrants and orders," he continued. "American lawmakers should treat this attack on a judicial body and its officers as they do Trump's efforts to destroy domestic institutions of justice, independent of the fact that they may disagree with certain rulings or actions of such bodies."
Williams added that "defending the legitimacy of the ICC is an inseparable part of the fight to protect the rule of law in the United States and around the world from the forces of autocracy and oligarchy. Those who fail to firmly oppose Trump's attack on the court—or worse, support it—are proving themselves to be only fair-weather friends to democracy and human rights at best, or complicit in their destruction outright."
Netanyahu and Gallant's visits to the U.S. this week have been met with protests and calls for their arrests.
Punchbowl News' Max Cohen reported that Netanyahu met with and pressured U.S. senators to pass a federal ICC sanctions bill that was advanced early last month by the House of Representatives' Republican majority and 45 Democrats.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Cohen said, "reiterated Dems are eager to get a bipartisan compromise and Netanyahu agreed there should be a compromise."
This post was updated with additional comment and details after the White House released the executive order.
Keep ReadingShow Less
'Far Too Little, Far Too Late,' Say Critics as Biden Finally Removes Cuba From Terror List
"Seriously? You wait until six days before leaving office to do what you promised to do during your 2020 campaign?" said one observer.
Jan 14, 2025
In a move likely to be reversed by the incoming Trump administration, President Joe Biden on Tuesday notified Congress of his intent to remove Cuba from the U.S. State Sponsors of Terrorism list, a designation that critics have long condemned as politically motivated and meritless.
Noting that "the government of Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism" and has "provided assurances" that it will not do so in the future, the White House said in a memo that the Biden administration is moving to rescind the first Trump administration's January 2021 addition of Cuba to the State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSOT) list and take other measures to ease some sanctions on the long-suffering island of 11 million inhabitants.
Cuba's SSOT designation was based mostly on the socialist nation's harboring of leftist Colombian rebels and several U.S. fugitives from justice for alleged crimes committed decades ago, even though no other country has been placed on the SSOT list for such a reason and despite right-wing Cuban exile terrorists enjoying citizenship—and even heroic status—in the United States.
"Despite its limited nature, it is a decision in the right direction and in line with the sustained and firm demand of the government and people of Cuba, and with the broad, emphatic, and repeated call of many governments, especially Latin America and the Caribbean, of Cubans living abroad, political, religious and social organizations, and numerous political figures from the United States and other countries," the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
"It is important to note that the economic blockade and much of the dozen coercive measures that have been put into effect since 2017 remain in force to strengthen it, with full extraterritorial effect and in violation of international law and human rights of all Cubans," the ministry added.
For 32 straight years, the United Nations General Assembly has overwhelmingly voted for resolutions condemning the U.S. blockade of Cuba. And for 32 years, the United States, usually along with a small handful of countries, has opposed the measures. Last year's vote was 187-2, with Israel joining the U.S. in voting against the resolution.
Cuba followed Biden's move by announcing it would "gradually" release 553 political prisoners following negotiations with the Catholic Church, The New York Timesreported.
Many progressives welcomed Biden's shift. Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-N.Y.) said in a statement that Cuba's SSOT designation "has only worsened life for the Cuban people without advancing U.S. interests" and "has made it harder for Cubans to access humanitarian aid, banking services, and the ability to travel abroad."
"It has also deepened food and medicine shortages and worsened the island's energy crisis, especially after Hurricane Rafael," she added. "These hardships have driven an unprecedented wave of migration, leading to the largest exodus in Cuba's history."
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) called Biden's move "a long overdue action that will help normalize relations with our neighbor."
"This is a step toward ending decades of failed policy that has only hurt Cuban families and strained diplomatic ties," Omar added. "Removing this designation will help the people of Cuba and create new opportunities for trade and cooperation between our nations. I look forward to continuing the work to build bridges between our countries and supporting policies that benefit both the American and Cuban people."
David Adler, the co-general coordinator at Progressive International, called the delisting "far too little, far too late."
"POTUS removing Cuba's SSOT designation in the final days of his presidency only means one thing: He knew—from day one—that the designation was simply an excuse to punish the Cuban people," Adler added. "But he maintained it anyway. Sickening."
The peace group CodePink released a statement welcoming Biden's shift, but adding that "it is unacceptable that it took this administration four years to address these injustices."
"President Biden made the inhumane decision every single day to not alleviate the suffering of millions of Cubans by keeping this designation in place," the group added. "As we mark this overdue progress, we can only hope that the Trump administration does not reverse these crucial steps towards justice and diplomacy."
Trump's nominee for secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is the son of Cuban immigrants and a fierce critic of Cuba's socialist government. In 2021, Rubio introduced legislation aimed at blocking Cuba's removal from the SSOT list. Trump has also tapped Mauricio Claver-Carone—a staunch supporter of sanctioning Cuba—as his special envoy for Latin America.
Alex Main, director of international policy at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, said Tuesday that "while this decision, which comes years after 80 members of Congress urged Biden to reverse Trump's 'total pressure' approach should have been made long ago, it is better late than never."
"Sixty years of failed policy should be more than enough, and hopefully the new administration will have the wisdom and the courage to pursue a new course, one that's in the best interest of both the U.S. and the Cuban people," Main added.
Cuba was first placed on the SSOT list by the Reagan administration in 1982 amid an ongoing, decadeslong campaign of U.S.-backed exile terrorism, attempted subversion, failed assassination attempts, economic warfare, and covert operations large and small in a futile effort to overthrow the revolutionary government of longtime leader Fidel Castro. Cuba says U.S.-backed terrorism has killed or wounded more than 5,000 Cubans and cost its economy billions of dollars.
In stark contrast, Cuba has not committed any terrorism against the United States.
Former President Barack Obama removed Cuba from the SSOT in 2015 during a promising but ultimately short-lived rapprochement between the two countries that abruptly ended when Trump took office for the first time in 2017.
"Cuba will continue to confront and denounce this policy of economic war, the interference programs, and the disinformation and discredit operations financed each year with tens of millions of dollars from the United States federal budget," the Cuban Foreign Ministry said Tuesday. "It will also remain ready to develop a relationship of respect with that country, based on dialogue and noninterference in the internal affairs of both, despite differences."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular