On Friday 7 February, the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, denounced the decree signed by US President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), arguing that the Court had “abused its power” by issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“Sanctioning the ICC threatens the independence of the Court and undermines the international criminal justice system as a whole”, stressed Mr Costa, who had met ICC President Tomoko Akane the previous day. “Independence and impartiality are essential characteristics of the Court’s work. The EU remains determined to put an end to impunity and to ensure that all violations of international law are punished”.
According to Ms von der Leyen, the ICC guarantees accountability for international crimes and gives victims a voice. “The ICC must be free to pursue its fight against global impunity. Europe will always defend justice and respect for international law”, she warned. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)