ICC President Hits Back At Trump Administration Sanctions, Says International Justice Cannot Be Silenced

The president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has accused US President Donald Trump's administration of attempting to undermine international justice through sanctions against the tribunal, warning that the measures will not stop it from carrying out its mandate.

ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane, who addressed the United Nations General Assembly remotely on Monday because of US sanctions, urged all 193 UN member states to take concrete action to defend the court. She stressed that support should not be limited to the 125 countries that are members of the ICC.

Akane described Washington's actions as extraordinary and unprecedented, saying they threatened judges, prosecutors and the court as an institution. She called on countries to act individually and collectively to protect the independence of international justice.

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on several ICC officials and expanded its measures to target the entire court last month. The move is part of Washington's campaign against the tribunal over its investigations involving the United States and its allies, including Israel.

Akane also highlighted the timing of the latest US sanctions, announced on October 9, the same day South African jurist Navi Pillay, a former ICC judge, received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law.

"The contrast could not be starker," Akane told the UN, pointing to the difference between global recognition of international justice and attempts to weaken the institution responsible for upholding it.

Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide when national authorities are unwilling or unable to take action. The United States is not a member of the court.

Responding to the latest sanctions, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington would ban transactions with the ICC, cut off its resources and cripple its ability to act against American interests. The US State Department had no immediate response to Akane's remarks.

However, the ICC president insisted that the court would continue operating independently and impartially, basing its decisions solely on law and evidence and working to secure justice for victims of serious crimes.

Meanwhile, the European Union and other ICC supporters voiced strong backing for the tribunal at the UN General Assembly, defending its role in pursuing accountability for some of the world's gravest crimes.