Trump announces sanctions on International Criminal Court to stop alleged US war crimes being investigated

‘The United States will continue to use any means necessary to protect our citizens and our allies from unjust prosecution,’ says White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany

President Donald Trump has authorised sanctions and visa restrictions on International Criminal Court (ICC) personnel, amid an investigation into alleged war crimes by US military and intelligence officials.

Earlier this year, the ICC launched an investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan by both US and Afghan forces, alongside a probe into crimes against humanity by the Taliban.

Mr Trump’s executive order explains that anyone who has “directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute any United States personnel without the consent of the United States,” may be subject to the new sanctions.

In a statement on Thursday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that Mr Trump signed the executive order to protect the “rights of the American people.”

Ms McEnany said: “The International Criminal Court’s actions are an attack on the rights of the American people and threaten to infringe upon our national sovereignty.”

She added: “As the President’s Executive Order makes clear, the United States will continue to use any means necessary to protect our citizens and our allies from unjust prosecution by the International Criminal Court.”

The Trump administration has argued for years that the US is not under the authority of the ICC, as it is not party to the Rome Statute, and last year revoked the visa of the organisation’s chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said that the sanctions will be decided on an individual basis, but confirmed that they could apply to family members of ICC officials, according to CNN.

He added: “It gives us no joy to punish them, but we cannot allow ICC officials and their families to come to the United States to shop, travel, and otherwise enjoy American freedoms as these same officials seek to prosecute the defender of those very freedoms.”

The sanctions have been coordinated with Israel, in a joint attack against the ICC, for separate investigations announced by the organisation.

Earlier this year, the ICC accepted Palestine as a state, which means the organisation is now able to investigate alleged war crimes perpetrated by Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to the Israel Times.

The investigation is not limited to just Israel, and will explore alleged crimes committed by all sides, including by the militant group, Hamas.

Ms Bensouda has pushed for an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, which Mr Pompeo has criticised.

In May, Mr Pompeo confirmed that the US does not recognise Palestine as a sovereign state, and called an ICC investigation into Israel “illegitimate.”

He added that if the ICC continued with its investigations, the US would retaliate.

Mr Pompeo said: “The United States reiterates its longstanding objection to any illegitimate ICC investigations. If the ICC continues down its current course, we will exact consequences.”