President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, has signed an executive order, authorising economic sanctions against the International Criminal Court, ICC.
The President is accusing the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the US and Israel.
The order grants Trump broad powers to freeze assets and issue travel bans against ICC staff and their family members.
This comes in response to the court’s decision in November to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.
Both men were accused of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
In the order, Trump said the ICC had “abused its power” by issuing the warrants which he claimed had “set a dangerous precedent” that endangered US citizens and its military personnel.
“This malign conduct in turn threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States government and our allies, including Israel,” he added.
The US and Israel are not member states of the ICC, a permanent court of last resort for the prosecution of individuals accused of atrocities.
In his order, Trump argued the court must “respect the decision” of countries “not to subject their personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction”.
Trump said the US “will impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions.”
Trump signs executive order to sanction ICC
