The Donald Trump administration on Monday launched a sweeping campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying the tribunal poses a threat to US sovereignty by claiming the authority to investigate and prosecute American officials and military personnel.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unveiled what the State Department described as a "whole-of-government response" aimed at "systematically disable(ing) the ICC's ability to operate, target American servicemen or officials, or otherwise threaten American sovereignty."
"The ICC poses an intolerable threat to US sovereignty," the State Department said in a statement, arguing that the court "claims the authority to prosecute and even imprison American servicemen and officials" even though the US has never ratified the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
As part of the campaign, Washington will step up diplomatic efforts to persuade countries to withdraw from the ICC, while also considering visa revocations, travel bans and expanded sanctions against ICC officials and affiliated organisations.
According to the State Department, Rubio, senior diplomats and US ambassadors will urge foreign governments to reject what Washington described as the ICC's "purported authority" over American citizens. Countries that host US military forces, cooperate with American law enforcement or benefit from US security assistance are also being called upon to reject the court's jurisdiction over Americans. Nations that continue supporting the ICC while relying on US assistance could face increased scrutiny.
In a video message, Rubio said the administration's move was aimed at protecting the country's right to govern and prosecute its own citizens.
"For 250 years, Americans have governed ourselves as a free and sovereign people. We choose our own leaders, we determine our own laws, and when we're accused of a crime, we stand for judgment before a jury of our own peers," he said, calling it "the essential and indispensable feature of our form of government."
