OMM Redaksiyası
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken measures to shield its operations from possible new US sanctions against the institution as a whole, Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said in an interview published by the Financial Times on Friday.
“We have done a lot of work to ensure that the court is buffered from the impacts of any potential sanctions in the future,” Khan said, according to the report.
She said ICC officials had heard rumours about further measures but had received no formal notification. The reported threat follows US sanctions imposed over the past year on individual court officials, including Khan.
ICC moves software and prepares staff payments
As part of its preparations, the court has switched its office software from Microsoft to Germany’s openDesk, Khan said. It has also made arrangements to reduce possible disruption to banking, health insurance and payroll services.
ICC employees have been paid several months in advance, while the preparations remain a “work in progress”, she added.
The US administration has already sanctioned 13 ICC officials, including nine of the court’s 18 judges, the report said. The measures have restricted some officials’ access to US credit cards and other services.
US criticism follows Gaza-related arrest warrants
The latest reported threat comes amid renewed criticism of the ICC by US President Donald Trump, who urged member states to withdraw from the court during an address to the UN General Assembly this week.
Washington’s criticism intensified after the ICC issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The United States and Israel are not members of the ICC. The court has based its jurisdiction in the case on Palestine’s membership.
