Trump Approves US Sanctions Against The Hague Criminal Court

The International Criminal Court in The Hague wants to investigate the possible commission of war crimes in Afghanistan, including by American soldiers. The US President has issued an order to impose sanctions on the court’s staff to prevent this.

Donald Trump, the US President, approved the imposition of sanctions against the officials of the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Thursday, June 11.

He threatened the officials of this international high court that if they investigate the conduct of American soldiers in Afghanistan without Washington’s consent, they will face economic sanctions from the United States.

The White House announced that based on this order, the assets of the court’s officials in America will be frozen. The order also includes the US President’s approval of restrictions on issuing entry visas to America for these officials and their relatives.

The order states that “the United States will take all necessary measures to protect its citizens and allies from unlawful harassment and persecution by this court.”

Background of Afghanistan Investigations

The reason for initiating these investigations is the possibility of war crimes occurring in Afghanistan. The International Criminal Court in The Hague announced in March of this year (approximately three months ago) in a ruling that investigations into the possible commission of war crimes in Afghanistan could also be conducted regarding employees of the US security organization and the CIA. The prosecutor of this court also stated that it may be formally investigated whether possible war crimes occurred in secret prisons of the US Armed Forces outside of Afghanistan.

Fatou Bensouda, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, had raised the request to approve legal proceedings against officials for torture, extrajudicial killings, sexual violence, and other war crimes since the start of the war in Afghanistan in 2001.

In the file investigating war crimes in Afghanistan, the Taliban forces, Afghan government military personnel, and the US Army forces in the country have been accused of committing war crimes against civilians in Afghanistan.

Mutual Threats

The US government had previously threatened the officials of the high court in The Hague with “reciprocal measures.” Trump had announced that if investigations begin into American citizens regarding their actions in Afghanistan, officials of this international court would be banned from entering American soil. Shortly after this threat, the United States revoked Bensouda’s entry visa.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague was established in 2002. This high court’s mission is to investigate and examine war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide worldwide. The United States is not a member of this institution, does not recognize it, and has opposed this court for years. America accuses the Court in The Hague of conducting “politically motivated investigations.”

Previous US administrations also viewed the investigations of the high court in The Hague regarding American soldiers with a critical perspective.

Source: DW