US sanctions ICC officials over probe into alleged war crimes

The United States of America has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, over her investigation into whether the American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan, US State Secretary Mike Pompeo said on September 2. In addition, Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of ICC Jurisdiction Complementary and Cooperation Division has also been blacklisted.

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These sanctions, which were authorized by President Donald Trump in June allow their assets to freezes, in addition, to be subjected to travel bans. Speaking to media reporters, the top American diplomat also warned that any “individual” or "entity" who tries to help them both, would expose themselves to the risk of getting sanctioned. In addition, he also alleged that ICC was biased towards the US.

“Today we take the next step because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly,” he said alleging ICC of being biased towards the US.

'Serious attack on courts' 

ICC denounced that sanctions and said that it stood by the work of its staff. In a statement, the international organisations asserted that the sanctions were just another attempt at “interfering with the court’s judicial and prosecutorial independence” as well as the “general rule of law.”

“These coercive acts, directed at an international judicial institution and its civil servants, are unprecedented and constitute serious attacks against the court, the Rome Statute system of international criminal justice, and the rule of law more generally,” it said in a rare joint statement on behalf of the entire ICC.

The ICC began investigating alleged war crimes committed by the US and others in the Afghan conflict earlier this year. According to the ICC's legal process, the court can issue arrest warrants or a summons to appear once prosecutors have gathered sufficient evidence and identified suspects. From there, they will decide if there is enough evidence for a case to go to trial.

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