38 rights groups back legal challenge to US sanctions on International Criminal Court

Thirty-eight international civil society organisations have backed a lawsuit challenging US sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the measures impede human rights work and victims’ access to international justice.

The organisations, including Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), submitted a brief to the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in support of the legal challenge.

The lawsuit was filed on August 11 by four US-based organizations — the American Friends Service Committee, Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch and Open Society Institute — against the Trump administration’s sanctions regime targeting ICC officials and others working with or assisting the court.

The case challenges an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on February 6, 2025, which authorizes sanctions against certain ICC officials and other individuals or organisations involved in the court’s work. The administration has defended the measures on the grounds that the ICC has improperly asserted jurisdiction over nationals of the United States and allied countries, including Israel.

The plaintiffs argue that the sanctions exceed presidential authority and violate constitutional protections, including rights to freedom of speech and association. They are asking the court to strike down the sanctions regime. The case remains pending, and no final ruling has been issued.

In their supporting brief, the 38 organisations argued that the impact of the sanctions extends beyond the ICC officials and organisations directly targeted. They said the measures interfere with cooperation between the court and civil society organizations that document abuses, assist victims and provide information or evidence to international prosecutors.

The groups said many victims of alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious international crimes depend on civil society organisations to help bring their cases and evidence before the ICC. Restricting those organizations’ ability to cooperate with the court therefore makes it more difficult for victims to pursue justice, they argued.

The organisations also warned that the sanctions could have broader consequences for the international justice system by discouraging organisations, financial institutions and other entities from working with the ICC because of potential legal or financial repercussions.

The Trump administration has argued that the ICC’s actions against US and Israeli nationals threaten US sovereignty. The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty establishing the ICC, and does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction over its nationals in the circumstances contested by Washington.