Rubio threatens the International Criminal Court: Either it will end its threats or we will end it

Washington - Ofoq News - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the United States has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, describing it as a “rogue court,” and threatening to cut off its resources and paralyze its ability to work.

Rubio said, in a statement reported by Reuters, that President Donald Trump “will never allow the International Criminal Court to try Americans,” stressing that Washington will prevent dealings with the court within the framework of the new sanctions.

He added: “Either the International Criminal Court ends its threats, or we end the International Criminal Court,” calling on the allies of the United States, especially the member states of the court that depend on American military support, to intervene to curb its movements.

Rubio explained that Washington delayed imposing sanctions to allow the court and states parties to the Rome Statute an opportunity to address American concerns, indicating that the US administration still provides room for negotiation, but will take additional measures if efforts do not lead to results.

This step comes in light of the ongoing tension between Washington and the International Criminal Court, against the backdrop of the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and a previous investigation into the actions of American soldiers in Afghanistan.

For her part, the Deputy Prosecutor of the Court, Nuzhat Shamim Khan, condemned the US sanctions, considering that they were aimed at undermining the rule of international law, and stressing that the Court would continue its investigations and prosecutions despite the pressure.

Rubio stressed that the continuation of the American measures is linked to the court’s position on the demands made by Washington, at a time when the US Treasury Department allowed some transactions exempted from sanctions under general licenses, without this meaning lifting the restrictions imposed on the court.