Germany calls for US to back off from world court sanctions

Germany on Friday ded its voice to criticism of U.S. sanctions against two top officials of International Criminal Court, appealing to Washington to withdraw measures and describing m as “a serious mistake.”

comments by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas followed calls Thursday for U.S. to reverse course from his French counterpart and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo anunced sanctions Wednesday against chief prosecutor of court, based in Hague, and a top aide, for continuing investigations into United States and its allies. sanctions include a freeze on assets held in U.S. or subject to U.S. law and target prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and court’s he of jurisdiction, Phakiso Mochochoko.

Pompeo h previously imposed a travel ban on Bensouda and or tribunal employees over investigations into allegations of torture and or crimes by Americans in Afghanistan.

U.S. has never been party to court. Pompeo said U.S. would t tolerate “its illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction.”

Germany's Maas said that “we have full confidence in work of International Criminal Court and consider it a serious mistake that U.S. has decided on this furr step.”

“We are continuing to work for International Criminal Court to be able to fulfill unhindered its indispensable role in international fight against impunity, and appeal to United States to withdraw measures,” Maas said in a statement.

(Im Credit: AP)