DistantNews
Support us
EU against Trump: 'Attacks on the International Criminal Court are unacceptable'
🇬🇷 Greece /Crime & Justice

EU against Trump: 'Attacks on the International Criminal Court are unacceptable'

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The European Union has condemned Donald Trump's administration's threats against the International Criminal Court (ICC).
  • An EU spokesperson stated that attacks or threats against the court, its officials, or collaborators are unacceptable.
  • The US has imposed sanctions on ICC officials and plans further actions, while legal experts dispute the US interpretation of the court's jurisdiction.

The European Union has strongly rebuked the Trump administration's threats against the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling such actions "unacceptable." This response comes a day after Washington announced its intention to "systematically dismantle" the international tribunal tasked with prosecuting the world's most serious crimes.

We stand firmly in support of the International Criminal Court. Attacks or threats against the Court, its elected officials, staff or those cooperating with it are simply unacceptable.

— Anouar El AnouniEU spokesperson, responding to the U.S. administration's stance on the ICC.

Anouar El Anouni, an EU spokesperson, affirmed the bloc's "unwavering support" for the ICC. "Attacks or threats against the Court, its elected officials, staff or those cooperating with it are simply unacceptable," he stated. El Anouni emphasized the ICC's crucial role in holding perpetrators of genocide and war crimes accountable, clarifying that the court "does not target sovereign states nor does it pose a threat to their sovereignty." Instead, he added, the ICC "exercises jurisdiction over individuals, perpetrators of the most serious crimes that concern the international community."

Since Donald Trump's return to power, his administration has actively sought to curtail the ICC's operations. Previously, eleven ICC officials faced U.S. sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes. Monday's announcement marked a significant escalation, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserting in a video that the ICC "threatens every aspect of our political and legal system." He warned of American border guards and elected officials potentially being "dragged before an international tribunal."

The Court does not target sovereign states nor does it pose a threat to their sovereignty. Instead, the ICC exercises jurisdiction over individuals, perpetrators of the most serious crimes that concern the international community.

— Anouar El AnouniEU spokesperson, clarifying the ICC's mandate and scope.

The U.S. State Department indicated that its campaign against the ICC would involve "a wide range of actions," including pressuring other nations to withdraw from the court and increasing scrutiny of those receiving U.S. aid but refusing to do so. Legal experts, however, have characterized Rubio's statements as a misinterpretation of the ICC's mandate. The court can investigate crimes committed in signatory states or by their nationals, or cases referred by the UN Security Council, and intervenes only when a state is unable or unwilling to prosecute such crimes itself. The United States has not ratified the ICC's founding statute.

threatens every aspect of our political and legal system

— Marco RubioU.S. Secretary of State, describing the perceived threat of the ICC to the U.S. system.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog