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The United Nations' top human rights official sharply criticized international sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court on Friday, warning that such measures threaten to undermine global justice mechanisms.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called the sanctions "appalling" and "totally unacceptable" during remarks to the Council on Foreign Relations, arguing they damage "a fundamental piece of the international system."
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His condemnation comes as reports suggest the United States may impose broader sanctions against the ICC as early as this week, potentially crippling the court's operations in response to its investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Such a move would represent a significant escalation beyond existing U.S. sanctions that already target individual ICC prosecutors and judges.
The ICC, established in 2002 under the Rome Statute, serves as the world's permanent war crimes tribunal and has jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes when national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute. While 123 countries are party to the Rome Statute, the United States has never joined, consistently opposing the court's authority over American citizens.
Turk emphasized that sanctions against international judicial institutions extend beyond U.S. actions. "By the way, it's not only the US; it's also the Russian Federation, because the Russian Federation has issued arrest warrants against judges," he said.
The High Commissioner expressed particular concern over what he described as insufficient international response to these threats against judicial independence. He criticized the "worrying silence" from UN member states, warning it could encourage further attacks on the court.
"And I really think that's extremely dangerous, and there needs to be a very strong reaction from member states," Turk said.
The ICC has faced mounting pressure from multiple directions as it pursues high-profile cases, including arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in Ukraine and ongoing investigations into the conflict in Gaza.
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