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72 countries denounce US sanctions against the ICC to the UN

2020-11-02T23:45:01.988Z


At the initiative of Germany, 72 countries, states parties to the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court (ICC), denounced Monday, November 2 in a joint declaration to the UN the recent US sanctions against two of its members . "We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Court as an independent and impartial judicial institution" , underlined the signatories of this declaration


At the initiative of Germany, 72 countries, states parties to the Rome Statute that created the International Criminal Court (ICC), denounced Monday, November 2 in a joint declaration to the UN the recent US sanctions against two of its members .

"We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Court as an independent and impartial judicial institution"

, underlined the signatories of this declaration read before the General Assembly of the United Nations.

Among them are countries from all continents, including traditional allies of the United States, such as Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom or France.

Read also: Trump punishes the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court

The signatories underlined their desire to

"preserve the integrity and independence

(of the ICC)

without being discouraged by measures or threats against the Court, its officials and those who cooperate with it"

.

"Sanctions are a tool against those responsible for the most serious crimes, and not against those who seek justice,"

they added, rejecting

"any attempt to undermine the independence of the Court"

.

In a statement, Richard Dicker, of the organization Human Rights Watch, welcomed this

"categorical refutation of the unprecedented use of sanctions by Washington"

.

According to him,

“this declaration

(...)

clearly and strongly says to the American administration:

'This is our Court, please refrain' from intervening.

To read also: By the way, what is the ICC?

Before the General Assembly, Deputy US Ambassador to the United States, Richard Mills, reaffirmed the

"principled objection

(of his country)

to any attempt to assert the jurisdiction of the ICC over nationals of non-states. parties to the Rome Statute, including the United States and Israel, in the absence of a referral to the UN Security Council or the consent of such a State ”

.

With his stance,

“the US government seeks to protect US personnel from unfair and illegitimate ICC prosecutions, which threaten US sovereignty

,” he argued.

In early September, Donald Trump's administration imposed unprecedented economic sanctions on Fatou Bensouda, ICC prosecutor, and Phakiso Mochochoko, director of its division of competence, complementarity and cooperation.

An institution based in The Hague created in 2002 to try the worst atrocities in the world, the ICC authorized in March the opening of an investigation for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, including abuses attributed to soldiers Americans and the CIA.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-11-02

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