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The German UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen read out a statement in which he criticized the sanctions (archive picture)
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Luiz Rampelotto / imago images / ZUMA Wire
At the initiative of Germany, 72 states have condemned the US sanctions against two members of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"We reaffirm our unwavering support for the Court of Justice as an independent and impartial judicial institution," declared the states that are all signatories of the Rome Statute at the UN General Assembly in New York.
The 72 states - including allies of the USA such as Australia and Canada - emphasized that they wanted to preserve the integrity and independence of the ICC.
"Sanctions are a means against people who commit serious crimes and not against those who seek justice," said the statement read out by the German UN Ambassador Christoph Heusgen.
The reason for the conflict are investigations into possible war crimes committed by US soldiers
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced sanctions against ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the head of the department for jurisdiction, complementarity and cooperation, Phakiso Mochochoko.
The background is investigations into US soldiers for possible war crimes in Afghanistan.
The human rights organization Humans Right Watch (HRW) welcomed the criticism from the 72 states.
The statement sends "a clear and strong message to the US government: This is our court, please do not do it," said HRW head Richard Dicker, according to AFP.
The United States' Deputy Ambassador to the United States, Richard Mills, stressed before the UN General Assembly that the US government was trying to protect its citizens from "unlawful and unjust" persecution, which also undermined US sovereignty.
The USA does not belong to the ICC and has repeatedly and severely attacked the tribunal in the past.
Washington strictly opposes criminal court investigations against US citizens.
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svv / AFP