This has been the darkest year for the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it opened its doors in The Hague in 2002. Never before had the institution faced such strong headwinds. The US imposed sanctions on four judges and the chief prosecutor, the British national Karim Khan, while threats, intrigue, and pressure from Washington mounted on state parties. The objective: to annul and prevent any arrest warrants against Israelis, including those targeting Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, issued on November 21, 2024, and to close the ongoing investigation into crimes committed on Palestinian territory.
Archiv: Andrew Cayley
âBlack Year for ICCâ â Le Monde Reveals Unprecedented Pressures on High Courtâ
(August 2, 2025)
British lawyer Andrew Cayley, who was tasked with leading the ICCâs file on Palestine (ICC-01/18), said the months he spent working on the case in The Hague were the most difficult of his life.
âI went through the worst months of my life in The Hague,â Cayley told Le Monde.
He described receiving direct threats, including being told he was âan enemy of Israelâ and warned to âwatch his back.â He resigned in March 2024.
Le Monde also cited a July 17, 2024, intelligence memo from Dutch authorities warning that the ICC had become a âprime target for espionage and subversive influenceâ by states whose officials were at risk of prosecution.