EU Foreign Minister Defends ICC After US Sanctions Threat

The European Union's foreign policy chief has strongly condemned the United States' decision to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). She characterized the move as a "grave attack on international justice" and an "obvious attempt to protect Netanyahu and the leaders of the occupation" from prosecution for alleged war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The EU official asserted that any harm to the ICC for fulfilling its mandate to prosecute perpetrators of the most serious crimes under international law would not deter it from its mission. She emphasized that prosecuting war crimes and crimes against humanity is a collective obligation enshrined in the Rome Statute, and that justice should not be subjected to political pressure or bargaining. The statement urged world nations, particularly signatories to the Rome Statute, to reject the U.S. sanctions and uphold their commitments by supporting the ICC and taking practical steps to ensure the safety of its judges and staff, as well as the continuation of its operations. The article also posed a rhetorical question about what it signifies for the ICC if a terrorist organization that has committed documented crimes against humanity desires its success.