US imposes sanctions on ICC for targeting Americans

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the Trump administration would impose sanctions on senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) for their investigations into U.S. persons.

According to the details, Pompeo said the United States would designate ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of the Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division of ICC, as “the ICC continues to target Americans.”

“Individuals and entities that continue to materially support those individuals risk exposure to sanctions as well,” he said, adding that the U.S. Department of State had restricted visas for individuals involved in the ICC efforts to investigate U.S. personnel.

Pompeo said that Washington has not ratified the Rome Statute of the ICC and “will not tolerate its illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction.”

The ICC in March authorized an investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan, including those that may have been committed by U.S. military and the CIA, which could lead to the indictment of U.S. military and intelligence personnel.