The Hague: As US President Donald Trump ratchets up pressure on the International Criminal Court, staff responsible for investigating the world’s worst crimes are finding ways to work around US sanctions of the kind more usually imposed on officials from autocratic regimes and members of extremist organisations.
Trump sanctioned staff at the court after a panel of ICC judges in November issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant.
Judges issued the warrants after finding that there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that the pair may have committed war crimes by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeting civilians in Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza - charges Israeli officials deny.
Although prosecutors and judges involved in the investigation into Israel’s leaders have been singled out, the sanctions are hampering work on a broad array of investigations and threaten to undermine the entire institution.
Companies and individuals risk substantial fines and prison time if they provide a sanctioned person with “financial, material, or technological support”.
For Americans, the risks are especially great. They are more likely to have assets in the United States and to return to home to see family, putting them within the reach of the US government.