NewzUS rights groups sue Trump administration over ICC sanctions Four US-based rights groups sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for its sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a statement, the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute called the sanctions "blatantly illegal". They said they are being forced "to curtail a wide range of human rights and legal work in violation of...
First and Fifth Amendment rights under the US Constitution and under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act", given that anyone who appears to associate with ICC cases or officials could now face legal repercussions. Just days after he assumed power in late January 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to sanction the ICC over its investigations into top Israeli officials. British barrister Karim Khan, who was the ICC's chief prosecutor, was the only person named as a sanctioned individual.
He has since been removed through a member states' vote, albeit due to sexual assault allegations. The executive order followed a White House visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza since October 2023. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); He has since been removed through a member states' vote, albeit due to sexual assault allegations.
Netanyahu and his then defence minister, Yoav Gallant, were issued arrest warrants in November 2024, alongside three Hamas leaders, who have since been killed by Israel. All non-US individuals and their family members who assist in ICC investigations of US citizens or allies fall under the sanctions order. Their assets are frozen, they cannot use the international banking system, and they cannot enter the US.
This is not the first lawsuit in response to US sanctions. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); In July, advocates for Palestinian rights in the US filed a lawsuit in a New York City federal court, seeking an injunction to stop the Trump administration's enforcement of sanctions against groups or …
Summary from source