Slug: us-sanctions-icc-prosecutor
The White House has confirmed economic and travel sanctions against Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking the first such action under President Donald Trump in his second term. The sanctions target the ICC’s war crimes investigations involving U.S. citizens or allied nations, particularly Israel.
Khan, a British citizen, was officially added to the sanctions list on Monday, following an executive order signed by Trump last week. The U.S. government has frozen his assets within its jurisdiction and banned his entry into the country, extending the restrictions to his family members.
ICC Responds to U.S. Sanctions
The ICC condemned the sanctions, vowing to stand by its personnel and continue delivering justice for war crimes victims worldwide. Court officials met in The Hague on Friday to assess the potential impact of the U.S. measures.
Founded in 2002, the ICC has jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in its member states or when cases are referred by the United Nations Security Council.
Under an existing UN-U.S. agreement, Khan is entitled to travel to New York to brief the UN Security Council on cases it has referred to the ICC, such as Libya and Sudan’s Darfur region.
The UN Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, stated that any travel restrictions must comply with U.S. obligations under its UN agreements.
