Afghan conflict: ICC war crimes probe

[Klondyke]

Afghan conflict: US sanctions 'kangaroo' ICC over war crimes probe



President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on court officials who are investigating whether US forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.

The executive order allows the US to block the assets of International Criminal Court (ICC) employees and stop them from entering the country.

The ICC described the decision as an "unacceptable attempt to interfere with the rule of law".

Mr Trump has repeatedly criticised the court and questioned its independence.

The ICC investigation began after a preliminary report found reason to believe war crimes had been committed.

The US is not a signatory of the Hague-based ICC and does not recognise its authority over American citizens.

On Thursday, shortly after the executive order was signed, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US would not be "threatened by a kangaroo court".

He added that the latest sanctions could also apply to family members of ICC officials to prevent them from visiting the US.

His criticism of the court was compounded by Attorney General William Barr, who alleged without evidence that "foreign powers like Russia are... manipulating the ICC in pursuit of their own agenda".

The ICC said in a statement that the US decision had been made "with the declared aim of influencing the actions of ICC officials" in the course of their investigations.

"An attack on the ICC also represents an attack against the interests of victims of atrocity crimes, for many of whom the Court represents the last hope for justice," it added.

Rights groups also criticised the move.

"This assault on the ICC is an effort to block victims of serious crimes whether in Afghanistan, Israel or Palestine from seeing justice," Andrea Prasow, the Washington director of Humans Rights Watch, said in a statement. "Countries that support international justice should publicly oppose this blatant attempt at obstruction."

The EU's diplomatic chief also expressed "serious concern" at the move.

"The court has been playing a key role in providing international justice and addressing the gravest international crimes," foreign affairs high representative Josep Borrell told reporters.

Afghan conflict: US sanctions 'kangaroo' ICC over war crimes probe - BBC News

[Klondyke]

The executive order allows the US to block the assets of International Criminal Court (ICC) employees and stop them from entering the country.

That will teach them...

[Klondyke]

Court can issue summons to ‘no matter who’

For the purposes of its investigation, the ICC Prosecutor can request that the court’s judges issue summons to appear or arrest warrants “no matter who the perpetrator”, for alleged atrocity crimes committed in connection with the Situation in Afghanistan, her Office said.

In addition to Afghanistan, the ICC Prosecutor’s Office has been conducting investigations in Burundi, Uganda; the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Darfur, Sudan; the Central African Republic, Kenya, Libya, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Georgia.

‘Unanimous’ ICC gives go-ahead to probe Afghanistan alleged war crimes | | UN News

(Why so utterly keen on new jobs? Don't they have enough to do in Africa and fmr. Yugoslavia?)