France declared Thursday, September 3 that the American sanctions targeting the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) constituted a "
serious attack
" against this body and a "
questioning
" of the independence of the judiciary.
Read also: Trump punishes the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court
"
The measures announced on September 2 represent a serious attack against the Court and the States parties to the Rome Statute and, beyond that, a questioning of multilateralism and the independence of the judiciary,
" said the French Minister of
Justice.
Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who called on Washington to "
withdraw
" them.
Two months before the presidential election in the United States, Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday announced unprecedented economic sanctions against the ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.
Donald Trump authorized these sanctions in June to dissuade the jurisdiction from prosecuting American soldiers for their involvement in the conflict in Afghanistan.
"
France reaffirms its unfailing support for the International Criminal Court and its staff, as well as for the independence of the judiciary,
" underlined Jean-Yves Le Drian.
It will continue to “
mobilize so that the Court is able to fulfill its mission independently and impartially, in accordance with the Rome Statute
”, he added.
The European Union “
stands by
” the ICC and is “
firmly opposed to all attempts to undermine the international criminal justice system,
” a Commission spokesperson also said on Thursday.
The ICC had taken the decision in March to authorize the opening of an investigation for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, and the investigation desired by Prosecutor Bensouda notably targets abuses allegedly committed by American soldiers in Afghanistan.
Allegations of torture have also been made against the CIA.
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