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20.08.2025 - 19:09 [ International Criminal Court ]

Joining the International Criminal Court

JOINING THE ROME STATUTE IS AN EXPRESSION OF SOLIDARITY WITH THE VICTIMS

Victims have the right to participate in the proceedings before the Court through
a legal representative. States Parties to the Rome Statute have established a Trust Fund for Victims, an independent institution through which victims and their families can receive assistance and reparations, including restitution, compensation and rehabilitation.

JOINING THE ROME STATUTE IS A POWERFUL FOREIGN POLICY STATEMENT

States Parties and the international community continue to reaffirm their commitment to the ICC. Ratifying or acceding to the Rome Statute shows commitment to international law and peace and security and strengthens the resolve of multilateral diplomacy.

JOINING THE ROME STATUTE CONTRIBUTES TO THE PREVENTION AND DETERRENCE OF FUTURE CRIMES

Through its preliminary examinations, investigations and judicial processes, the ICC’s work can help prevent future crimes from happening by putting potential perpetrators on notice that anyone may be held responsible if they commit core international crimes.

JOINING THE ROME STATUTE REINFORCES THE EQUALITY OF ALL BEFORE THE LAW

The Rome Statute sets one standard for all – no one is below or above the law.
As official capacity is irrelevant under the Rome Statute, all individuals can be
brought to justice for grave international crimes.

20.08.2025 - 18:55 [ Weny.com ]

Trump admin imposes sanctions on more International Criminal Court officials

According to a State Department fact sheet, Prost, an ICC judge “is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC’s investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.”

Guillou, another judge, “is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant,” the fact sheet said.

04.08.2025 - 14:25 [ Le Monde ]

Israel-Gaza: The International Criminal Court in turmoil

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.

04.08.2025 - 14:22 [ Palestine Chronicle ]

‘Black Year for ICC’ – Le Monde Reveals Unprecedented Pressures on High Court‘

(August 2, 2025)

British lawyer Andrew Cayley, who was tasked with leading the ICC’s 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.

“I went through the worst months of my life in The Hague,” Cayley told Le Monde.

He described receiving direct threats, including being told he was “an enemy of Israel” and warned to “watch his back.” 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 “prime target for espionage and subversive influence” by states whose officials were at risk of prosecution.

07.06.2025 - 12:00 [ Middle East Eye ]

The four ICC judges sanctioned by the US for Palestine and Afghanistan work

The ICC has a total of 18 judges who serve in different chambers, including the Pre-Trial, Trial and Appeals chambers.

Judges are nominated by state parties to the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty, and then elected by the Assembly of States Parties, the court‘s governing body.

Judges must demonstrate high moral character, impartiality and integrity, meeting the qualifications required in their home countries for appointment to the highest judicial offices.

Once elected, ICC judges serve a non-renewable nine-year term.

Below are the profiles of the four judges sanctioned by the Trump administration on 5 June 2025.

06.06.2025 - 22:14 [ New York Times ]

State Dept. Imposes Sanctions on International Criminal Court Judges

The State Department said that Ms. Bossa and Ms. Ibáñez Carranza had ruled to authorize the court’s investigation against U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. While they participated in an appeals decision that opened the way for that investigation, the court’s pursuit of the American role in Afghanistan was eventually dropped. Mr. Khan announced soon after taking office in 2021 that he would not pursue accusations of torture carried out by U.S. military and C.I.A. personnel in Afghanistan and at so-called black sites in other countries. No formal investigations of specific U.S. personnel have taken place, nor have warrants been issued.

08.02.2025 - 09:08 [ diePresse.com ]

Österreich und 78 weitere Staaten kritisieren US-Sanktionen gegen Strafgerichtshof

Initiiert worden war die Erklärung von Slowenien, Luxemburg, Mexiko, Sierra Leone und Vanuatu. Zu den Unterzeichnern gehören neben Deutschland und Frankreich auch Großbritannien, Südafrika, die Palästinenser, Kanada, Chile und Panama. Auch Österreich ist darunter, wie das Außenministerium mitteilte.

08.02.2025 - 09:03 [ Daily News Egypt ]

ICC receives backing from 78 nations following US sanctions over Israel investigation

Seventy-eight nations have issued a joint statement reaffirming their support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the Trump administration imposed sanctions against the court and its officials.

The US government imposed the sanctions after the ICC issued an arrest warrant last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The US and Israel are not members of the court and do not recognise its authority.

07.02.2025 - 13:30 [ Internationaler Strafgerichtshof / International Criminal Court (ICC) ]

ICC condemns the issuance of US Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on the Court

The ICC condemns the issuance by the US of an Executive Order seeking to impose sanctions on its officials and harm its independent and impartial judicial work. The Court stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all Situations before it. We call on our 125 States Parties, civil society and all nations of the world to stand united for justice and fundamental human rights.

07.02.2025 - 13:22 [ Amnesty International ]

USA: Sanctions against International Criminal Court betray international justice system

“At an historic moment when we are witnessing a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, and the global rule of law coming under threat from multiple fronts, institutions like the Court are needed more than ever to advance human rights protections, prevent future atrocities and secure justice for victims. (…)

“Governments around the world and regional organizations must do everything in their power to mitigate and block the effect of President Trump’s sanctions. Through collective and concerted actions, ICC member states can protect the Court and its staff. Urgent action is needed, like never before.”

07.02.2025 - 00:13 [ Reuters ]

Trump imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday authorized economic and travel sanctions targeting people who work on International Criminal Court investigations of U.S. citizens or U.S. allies such as Israel, repeating action he took during his first term.

10.01.2025 - 10:37 [ Reuters ]

US House votes to sanction International Criminal Court over Israel

Forty-five Democrats joined 198 Republicans in backing the bill. No Republican voted against it.

“America is passing this law because a kangaroo court is seeking to arrest the prime minister of our great ally, Israel,” Representative Brian Mast, Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a House speech before the vote.

30.11.2024 - 02:28 [ MintPressNews.com ]

Six Months of Lies and Pressure: How US and Israeli Interference Stalled Netanyahu’s ICC Arrest Warrant

(November 22, 2024)

More than six months after the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and defense minister, a ruling was finally issued Thursday. In the interim, both Israel and the United States took unprecedented steps to obstruct the court’s decision-making process.

03.11.2024 - 13:47 [ Anadolu ]

Netanyahu arrest warrant delayed in ICC for 5 months

(October 29, 2024)

Delays in the Palestine investigation trace back to 2015 when former ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda initiated a preliminary examination. Although the investigation met the necessary criteria in 2019, it was postponed due to jurisdiction debates over Palestinian territories. The formal investigation began in March 2021, yet no meaningful progress has been made, further delaying requests against Netanyahu and Gallant.

03.11.2024 - 13:10 [ Guardian ]

Spying, hacking and intimidation: Israel’s nine-year ‘war’ on the ICC exposed

(May 28, 2024)

Thanks to their comprehensive access to Palestinian telecoms infrastructure, the sources said, intelligence operatives could capture the calls without installing spyware on the ICC official’s devices.

“If Fatou Bensouda spoke to any person in the West Bank or Gaza, then that phone call would enter [intercept] systems,” one source said. Another said there was no hesitation internally over spying on the prosecutor, adding: “With Bensouda, she’s black and African, so who cares?”

The surveillance system did not capture calls between ICC officials and anyone outside Palestine. However, multiple sources said the system required the active selection of the overseas phone numbers of ICC officials whose calls Israeli intelligence agencies decided to listen to.

According to one Israeli source, a large whiteboard in an Israeli intelligence department contained the names of about 60 people under surveillance – half of them Palestinians and half from other countries, including UN officials and ICC personnel.

In The Hague, Bensouda and her senior staff were alerted by security advisers and via diplomatic channels that Israel was monitoring their work.

03.11.2024 - 13:03 [ 20min.ch ]

Strafgerichtshof: Bedrohte der Mossad die Chefanklägerin und ihre Familie?

(May 28, 2024)

Die Haftbefehle für Benjamin Netanyahu und Yoav Gallant, die der internationale Strafgerichtshof (IStGH) letzte Woche ausgeschrieben hatte, beziehen sich zwar auf Verbrechen, die die israelische Führung während des neuen Gaza-Krieges begangen haben soll, die Untersuchungen begannen aber bereits 2015.

Damals eröffnete die damalige Chefanklägerin des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs, Fatou Bensouda, die Überprüfung von Vorwürfen gegen Einzelpersonen im Gazastreifen, im Westjordanland und in Ostjerusalem.

03.11.2024 - 12:34 [ Guardian ]

Revealed: Israeli spy chief ‘threatened’ ICC prosecutor over war crimes inquiry

(May 28, 2024)

The former head of the Mossad, Israel’s foreign intelligence agency, allegedly threatened a chief prosecutor of the international criminal court in a series of secret meetings in which he tried to pressure her into abandoning a war crimes investigation, the Guardian can reveal.

Yossi Cohen’s covert contacts with the ICC’s then prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, took place in the years leading up to her decision to open a formal investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in occupied Palestinian territories.

That investigation, launched in 2021, culminated last week when Bensouda’s successor, Karim Khan, announced that he was seeking an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, over the country’s conduct in its war in Gaza.

(…)

After the surprise meeting with Kabila and Bensouda in New York, Cohen repeatedly phoned the chief prosecutor and sought meetings with her, three sources recalled. According to two people familiar with the situation, at one stage Bensouda asked Cohen how he had obtained her phone number, to which he replied: “Did you forget what I do for a living?”

15.10.2024 - 06:25 [ Middle East Eye ]

History will judge the ICC‘s inaction. Judges must act now or step aside

The International Criminal Court (ICC) faces an unprecedented moment in its history, one that could shape its legacy and impact the lives of thousands.

Prosecutor Karim Khan and his team have risen to their mandate, applying for arrest warrants in the face of enormous risk and pressure.

Yet, the ICC as a whole is faltering. The delay in the judges‘ decision-making is a catastrophic failure to uphold the court‘s own mission.

14.10.2024 - 21:08 [ Al Jazeera ]

The ICC’s credibility is hanging by a thread

In May, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan requested the court to issue warrants of arrest for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, along with three Hamas leaders. The ICC is yet to make a decision despite the mounting death toll in and destruction of Gaza amid Israel’s continuing genocidal violence.

(…)

If Bensouda was threatened and blackmailed for merely investigating allegations of war crimes perpetrated before the current genocidal war, one can only fathom the pressures and threats, real or assumed, that Khan faced or feared.

Now that he has done his duty, it is for the three sitting judges of the pre-trial chamber to decide whether to issue the warrants or not. Whether they face the same threats as Bensouda is unknown, but they must be acutely aware that the very credibility of the ICC also hangs in the balance if warrants of arrest for Netanyahu and Gallant are not issued without further delay.

23.09.2024 - 23:45 [ Palestinian News and Information Agency – WAFA.ps ]

President Abbas Meets ICC Prosecutor at UN General Assembly in New York

NEW YORK, September 23, 2024 (WAFA) – President Mahmoud Abbas met on Monday with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan, on the sidelines of his participation in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York.

10.09.2024 - 18:10 [ DrALJONES / Mastodon.social ]

Report: ICC prosecutor Karim Khan reveals pressure on him from US lawmakers & threats from supporters of both Israel & Russia since pursuing charges against their leaders.

(September 5, 2024)

“You cannot allow an attack on the court,” Khan said. “Then you have no rules-based system.”*

https://aje.io/7u2xai?update=3158140

* Which is exactly what Russia Israel & US want; hence the „Hague Invasion Act“

#US #Russia #Israel #ICC ..

05.09.2024 - 22:20 [ International Criminal Court (ICC) ]

Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine

(20 May 2024)

On the basis of evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Yahya SINWAR (Head of the Islamic Resistance Movement (“Hamas”) in the Gaza Strip), Mohammed Diab Ibrahim AL-MASRI, more commonly known as DEIF (Commander-in-Chief of the military wing of Hamas, known as the Al-Qassam Brigades), and Ismail HANIYEH (Head of Hamas Political Bureau) bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 7 October 2023:

(…)

05.09.2024 - 22:12 [ DrALJONES / Mastodon.social ]

Report: ICC prosecutor Karim Khan reveals pressure on him from US lawmakers & threats from supporters of both Israel & Russia since pursuing charges against their leaders.

“You cannot allow an attack on the court,” Khan said. “Then you have no rules-based system.”*

https://aje.io/7u2xai?update=3158140

* Which is exactly what Russia Israel & US want; hence the „Hague Invasion Act“

#US #Russia #Israel #ICC ..

05.09.2024 - 22:00 [ theCradle.co ]

ICC prosecutor says world leaders ‚threatened‘ him over Israel arrest warrants

Though several months have passed since Khan‘s application, ICC judges have not issued any arrest warrants.

Speaking to the BBC, Khan said it was important to show the court would hold all nations to the same standard in relation to alleged war crimes. He also welcomed the new UK government‘s recent decision to drop its opposition to the arrest warrants.

05.09.2024 - 21:49 [ Middle East Eye ]

‘We need to apply the law‘: ICC prosecutor defends Netanyahu arrest warrant

Khan pointed out that the same political leaders who had applauded the court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin had condemned the same being done for the Israeli leadership.

“We need to apply the law in a way that is equal, because if we don’t, and importantly if we’re not seen to, we’re going to lose all the architecture, not just the ICC, that has been built on human suffering since Nuremberg.”

05.09.2024 - 21:41 [ ORF.at ]

IStGH-Chefankläger verteidigt Haftbefehl gegen Netanjahu

Der Chefankläger des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs (IStGH) hat die beantragten Haftbefehle gegen Israels Regierungschef Benjamin Netanjahu und Verteidigungsminister Joav Galant verteidigt. Ihm sei von mehreren führenden Politikern und anderen von dem Schritt abgeraten worden, sagte Karim Khan in einem BBC-Interview. Es sei aber wichtig zu zeigen, dass für alle Länder die gleichen Maßstäbe gälten, wenn es um mutmaßliche Kriegsverbrechen gehe.

29.04.2024 - 23:30 [ Fox News ]

Johnson urges Biden to intervene in ICC‘s reported plan for Netanyahu arrest warrant

Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., is calling on President Biden to utilize the U.S.‘s influence on the world stage to block the International Criminal Court‘s (ICC) reported plan to issue arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

29.04.2024 - 07:15 [ New York Times ]

Israeli Officials Believe I.C.C. Is Preparing Arrest Warrants Over War

The Israeli officials did not disclose the nature of the information that led them to be concerned about potential I.C.C. action, and the court did not comment on the matter.

Arrest warrants from the court would probably be seen in much of the world as a humbling moral rebuke, particularly to Israel, which for months has faced international backlash over its conduct in Gaza, including from President Biden, who called it “over the top.”

29.04.2024 - 06:46 [ Haaretz ]

Israel Scrambles as Netanyahu, Gallant and IDF Chief Face ICC Arrest Warrants for War Crimes in Gaza

Warrants could be issued this week against Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and army chief Herzl Halevi. Some legal experts say the attorney general and army lawyers are partly to blame for not doing enough to prevent Israeli violations of international law

13.02.2024 - 19:27 [ Karim A. A. Khan KC, The Prosecutor, International Criminal Court ]

I am deeply concerned by the reported bombardment and potential ground incursion by Israeli forces in Rafah. My Office has an ongoing and active investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine.

This is being taken forward as a matter of the utmost urgency, with a view to bringing to justice those responsible for Rome Statute crimes.

All wars have rules and the laws applicable to armed conflict cannot be interpreted so as to render them hollow or devoid of meaning. This has been my consistent message, including from Ramallah last year. Since that time, I have not seen any discernible change in conduct by Israel. As I have repeatedly emphasised, those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my Office takes action pursuant to its mandate.

To all those involved: my Office is actively investigating any crimes allegedly committed. Those who are in breach of the law will be held accountable.

I also continue to call for the immediate release of all hostages. This also represents an important focus of our investigations.

18.03.2023 - 00:42 [ Internationaler Strafgerichtshof / International Criminal Court - icc-cpi.int ]

Statement by Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan KC on the issuance of arrest warrants against President Vladimir Putin and Ms Maria Lvova-Belova

On 22 February 2023, I submitted applications to Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court for warrants of arrest in the context of the Situation in Ukraine.

Today, the Pre-Trial Chamber has issued arrest warrants in relation to the following two individuals:

Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation; and
Ms Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President of the Russian Federation.

On the basis of evidence collected and analysed by my Office pursuant to its independent investigations, the Pre-Trial Chamber has confirmed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that President Putin and Ms Lvova-Belova bear criminal responsibility for the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation, contrary to article 8(2)(a)(vii) and article 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute.

12.03.2022 - 14:32 [ Internationaler Strafgerichtshof - icc-cpi.int ]

Statement of ICC Prosecutor, Karim A.A. Khan QC, on the Situation in Ukraine: Additional Referrals from Japan and North Macedonia; Contact portal launched for provision of information

My Office has responded immediately to this unprecedented collective call for action by States Parties. The investigative team that I deployed to the region last week has already commenced evidence-collection activities. I am also personally seeking to engage with all relevant stakeholders and parties to the conflict with the aim of strengthening channels for the collection of relevant information and engendering coordinated action towards our common goal of ensuring accountability for crimes falling within ICC jurisdiction.

International criminal investigations require the engagement of all those who may hold information relevant to our work. Witnesses, survivors and affected communities in particular must be empowered to actively contribute to our investigations. There can be no bystanders in our effort to establish the truth and pursue those allegedly responsible for international crimes.

I can therefore announce today that my Office has established a dedicated portal through which any person that may hold information relevant to the Ukraine situation can contact our investigators. I encourage all those with relevant information to come forward and contact our Team through this platform, which can be accessed here.

01.03.2022 - 08:50 [ Internationaler Strafgerichtshof / icc-cpi.int ]

Statement of ICC Prosecutor, Karim A.A. Khan QC, on the Situation in Ukraine: “I have decided to proceed with opening an investigation.”

Ukraine is not a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court („ICC“ or the „Court“), so cannot itself refer the situation to my Office. But it has twice exercised its prerogatives to legally accept the Court‘s jurisdiction over alleged crimes under the Rome Statute occurring on its territory, should the Court choose to exercise it. The first declaration lodged by the Government of Ukraine accepted ICC jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes committed on Ukrainian territory from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014. The second declaration extended this time period on an open-ended basis to encompass ongoing alleged crimes committed throughout the territory of Ukraine from 20 February 2014 onwards.

I have reviewed the Office‘s conclusions arising from the preliminary examination of the Situation in Ukraine, and have confirmed that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with opening an investigation.