Trump's sanctions besiege the International Criminal Court.. The court calls on member states to take action

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The International Criminal Court called on member states to ensure its ability to continue its work, after the United States imposed new sanctions on it, warning of the repercussions of the move on international justice and the rule of law.

The court said, in a statement on Friday, that the sanctions represent an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and prevent it from performing the tasks for which it was established, considering that it represents an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal system.

The court confirmed that it will continue to implement its mandate, which includes prosecuting individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression, when the countries concerned are unwilling or unable to conduct the necessary trials.

But she stressed that it could not continue its work alone, calling on member states to provide the necessary capabilities to ensure the continuation of its operations, and said that the fate of the court also depended on the countries that established it.

For its part, the European Union described the United States' announcement of its intention to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court as "extremely regrettable," reiterating its support for the independence of the court and ensuring its continued effective work.

The European Commission confirmed, in a statement on Friday, that the Union will work in cooperation with the Court and the 125 states party to the Rome Statute to protect its independence and mission, indicating the bloc’s readiness to take the necessary measures to ensure the continuation of investigations and prosecutions for war crimes and crimes against humanity, and to protect the interests of European parties within the single market.

The Union pointed out that the sanctions will not enter into force for six months, considering that there is an opportunity to continue the dialogue with Washington, although it confirmed its readiness to move to protect the court’s operations.

In his first comment on the new US sanctions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the decision of US President Donald Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court.

Netanyahu said, in a post on the “X” platform, that this “is not a court, but rather a political body that poses an existential threat to law-abiding democracies around the world, and to the principle of national sovereignty,” according to his statement, thanking Trump and Rubio for what he described as an important decision.

On Friday, the administration of US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court, in a step that goes beyond previous measures that targeted its officials and judges, as it may affect companies that provide services to the court.

For his part, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Washington would not allow the court to prosecute American citizens, and described it as a “rogue court,” as he put it, considering that the sanctions aimed to cut off its resources and limit its ability to work.

It is noteworthy that the United States has announced its opposition to the court’s actions related to Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It has also previously opposed investigations it conducted into the actions of American soldiers in Afghanistan, and the last investigation was later closed, according to Reuters.

In September, the International Court confirmed that it had taken measures to protect its work from the repercussions of US sanctions, while the Court’s Deputy Prosecutor, Nuzhat Shamim Khan, explained that a series of measures had been taken to protect the court’s operations from the repercussions of any new US sanctions that might target the entire institution.

The court includes 125 member states, and the United States does not belong to its statute. The new sanctions pose the challenge of member states to support the continued work of the court, in light of the escalating dispute with Washington over its jurisdiction and independence.