The United States administration has lifted sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda; sanctions that had been imposed by the Trump administration.
The sanctions were slapped on Ms Bensouda when the ICC sought to investigate allegations of war crimes in Afghanistan by the US and similar allegations by US-ally Israel in Palestinian territories.
While announcing the development, the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that the sanctions “were inappropriate and ineffective.” Mr. Blinken also called for closer coorperation with the ICC.
The US State Department has also removed Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of the ICC’s Jurisdiction, Complimentarity and Cooperation Division from a Specially Designated Nationals List and terminated the 2019 policy on VISA restrictiobs on specific ICC staff.
Mr. Blinken however, said that the US continues to “disagree strongly with the ICC’ actiobs relating to the Afghanistan and Palestinian situations” and added that they’re opposed to the ICC’s efforts to assert jurisdiction over personnel of non-State Parties such as the United States and Israel.
