The US State Department announced the termination of Donald Trump’s sanctions on certain members of the International Criminal Court (ICC)
Madrid (EUROPA PRESS)-The US State Department announced on Friday that the last Donald Trump administration had investigated certain members of the International Criminal Court (ICC), such as the chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. Possible crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan.
The State Department explained in a statement that President Biden (Joe Biden) revoked Trump’s previous executive order, “thus putting an end to the threats and economic sanctions and visa restrictions imposed by some people working in the International Criminal Court.”
The text says: “The previous government’s sanctions on the prosecutor, the President of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda and the Director of the Office of the Prosecutor’s Office of Justice, Complementarity and Cooperation, Fatou Bensouda, and the Director of the Department of Justice, Complementarity and Cooperation have been lifted. The text reports that. At the same time, it also heralds that the restrictions on court staff and other personnel will end in 2019.
However, the White House insists that it continues to “completely disagree with the actions of the International Criminal Court related to the situation in Afghanistan and Palestine” and emphasizes that it rejects the court’s “efforts” to maintain “personnel jurisdiction”. The United States and Israel, because they are not part of the Rome Statute.
As far as Ben Soda is concerned, he rejected Washington’s statement because although the United States is not a member of the Rome Statute that administers the International Criminal Court, “Afghanistan is, if the crime is committed on its territory,” then it There is a case of jurisdiction. ICC is investigating possible war crimes and foreseeable crimes against humanity committed by the US military.
It welcomes the U.S. decision
As stated in an article in its Twitter profile, the International Criminal Court “satisfactorily” welcomes the US decision.
Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, Chairman of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, the legislative and supervisory body of the International Criminal Court, also expressed “deep thanks” for the decision adopted by the US government this Friday.
In this regard, he emphasized: “This decision will help strengthen the work of the Tribunal, and more broadly, it will help promote an international order based on law.” He pointed out that “this decision is at a fundamental juncture in the Assembly of States Parties. Adopted. The International Criminal Court has begun a comprehensive review process to improve the Rome Statute system to hold accountable for the most serious crimes of international concern.”
Therefore, Fernández de Gurmendi hopes that the decision “marks the beginning of a new phase in our joint efforts to combat impunity for such crimes. The General Assembly and its subsidiary bodies have always welcomed the United States, in fact all State participation. In their work, and encourage fruitful cooperation with court activities,” he added.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has also responded in this regard; he said that the end of sanctions against the International Criminal Court “provides a serious obstacle for the court to provide justice to the victims of the world’s most serious crimes.”
Human Rights Watch Director International Judge Richard Dicker said in a statement: “The improper punishments imposed by the Donald Trump administration on the International Criminal Court show that they completely ignore the victims and victims of serious international crimes. The prosecutor who seeks to hold the perpetrator accountable.”
He also praised that “President Biden has begun a long process by eliminating this unprecedented threat to the global rule of law to restore the credibility of the United States in international justice through the International Criminal Court.”
However, the organization regrets that the US government has “clearly” stated that it will continue to oppose the investigation of the situation in Afghanistan and the Palestinian territories by the International Criminal Court by repealing the sanctions.
In particular, NGOs mentioned that US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken reiterated his disagreement with the International Criminal Court’s investigation of possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories this Friday. Human Rights Watch said: “The prosecutor’s investigation has opened up the long-awaited path to justice for the Palestinian and Israeli victims of serious international crimes.”
The organization called for the U.S. government to “review its future commitment to the International Criminal Court,” given that the sanctions are no longer in effect, and emphasized that “although there will continue to be differences between Washington and the court, the Biden administration should seek formal cooperation.”
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