EU foreign policy chief: ‘US sanctions on International Criminal Court are unacceptable’

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the US’ sanctions on the International Criminal Court’s prosecutors are ‘unacceptable and unprecedented’. The measures seek to “obstruct the court’s investigations and judicial proceedings,” he said.

The US criticised the ICC after the court initiated an investigation into whether US forces committed was crimes in Afghanistan.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the court of “illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction”.

Borrell said the ICC plays a critical role in delivering justice to the victims of some of the world’s most horrific crimes. Its independence and impartiality are critical and give the organisation its legitimacy.

The ICC should be free to work independently and impartially, the EU said as it urged the US to reconsider its position. “Impunity must never be an option,” Borrell added.

Borrell said the EU would continue defending the ICC from any attempts to obstruct justice.