ICC ‘undeterred’ by US threats

The International Criminal Court will “continue to do its work undeterred” by US threatens of legal action against its staff.

On Monday, US National Security Adviser John Bolton threatened to impose sanctions against ICC judges if they proceed with a probe into reported war crimes by the US in Afghanistan.

Bolton’s threats said that if such an investigation was launched, the US administration would consider banning ICC judges and prosecutors from entering America, in addition to sanctioning funds they have there and prosecuting them in US courts.

The court said in a statement that it is an independent and impartial institution with the backing of 123 countries.

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The statement added that “the ICC, as a court of law, will continue to do its work undeterred, in accordance with those principles and the overarching idea of the rule of law.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif criticised the absence of an international response to US threats on his official Twitter account yesterday.

“The US threatens to impose sanctions on the ICC & even prosecute its judges in American courts. Where is the outrage?”

“The boorishness of this rogue US regime seems to know no bounds,” he added.

The US threatens to impose sanctions on the ICC & even prosecute its judges in American courts. Where is the outrage? The boorishness of this rogue US regime seems to know no bounds. When will the international community say enough is enough & force US to act like a normal state?

— Javad Zarif (@JZarif) September 11, 2018