UN experts condemn US sanctions on International Criminal Court and call for reversal

UN experts condemn US sanctions on International Criminal Court and call for reversal
International Criminal Court in The Hague. (Reuters/File)
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Updated 10 February 2025
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UN experts condemn US sanctions on International Criminal Court and call for reversal

UN experts condemn US sanctions on International Criminal Court and call for reversal
  • The sanctions, authorized in an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump, sparked a wave of global concern for the future of international justice
  • ‘The order is an attack on global rule of law and strikes at the very heart of the international criminal justice system,’ the experts warn

NEW YORK CITY: Independent experts at the UN on Monday strongly condemned recent US sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court, its personnel and any individuals or entities who cooperate with it.
The sanctions, authorized in an executive order signed by US President Donald Trump on Feb. 6, sparked a wave of global concern for the future of international justice.
The ICC, the world’s top war-crimes court, issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, and Hamas’ military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity in connection with the war in Gaza.
The court said there was reason to believe Netanyahu and Gallant intentionally targeted civilians during Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in Gaza, and used “starvation as a method of warfare” by restricting deliveries of humanitarian aid to the territory. At the time of the ICC action, the death toll from Israel’s assault on Gaza had surpassed 44,000.
Criticizing the US sanctions against the court, the UN experts said: “The order is an attack on global rule of law and strikes at the very heart of the international criminal justice system.
“The financial restrictions will undermine the ICC and its investigations into war crimes and crimes against humanity across the world, including those committed against women and children.”
Trump’s executive order declares that “any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute protected persons” is a “threat to the national security and foreign policy” of the US. It declares a national emergency in response, demanding that America and its allies oppose any actions by the ICC against the US, Israel or any other nation that has not consented to the court’s jurisdiction.
The UN experts denounced these actions, describing them as a dangerous backward step in the fight for international justice.
The experts included Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Francesca Albanese, the special rapporteur on human rights of Palestinians in the occupied territories; Ben Saul, the special rapporteur on the promotion of human rights while countering terrorism, and George Katrougalos, an independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order. Their statement was endorsed by several other experts.
“The jurisdiction of the ICC has been clearly defined by the Court itself and recognized through international law,” the experts stated. “By sanctioning the ICC, the United States is undermining the ‘never again’ legacy established after Nuremberg, which has been a cornerstone of evolving international criminal law since 1945.”
The ICC was established in 2002 as the court of last resort to prosecute individuals responsible for the most heinous atrocities worldwide, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.
The 125 member states of the court include Palestine, Ukraine, Canada, the UK and every country in the EU, but dozens of countries do not accept its jurisdiction, including Israel, the US, Russia and China.
The experts said the US executive order empowers war criminals and will deny justice to thousands of victims around the world, particularly women and children. It also mocks the global quest to “place law above force” and prevent atrocities, they added.
A core principle of the ICC is its commitment to holding the perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression accountable, regardless of nationality. The experts stressed the importance of maintaining a judicial system in which justice applies equally to all.
“Upholding international law is a shared responsibility that strengthens, rather than undermines, global security, including that of the United States,” they said.
They welcomed the expressions of solidarity from UN member states who have reaffirmed their support for the crucial role the court plays in ensuring the principals of accountability and justice around the globe.
Imposing sanctions on ICC personnel is seen as a violation of the basic principles of judicial independence, said the experts, who pointed out that such action stands as a direct contradiction to human rights protections, specifically the fundamental right of individuals to carry out their professional duties without fear of retribution.
Any attempt to impede or intimidate an official of the ICC is punishable under Article 70 of the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the court. The US sanctions could be viewed as a violation of this provision, which seeks to protect officials from potential retaliation as a result of their work to administer justice.
The UN experts said they have shared their concerns with US authorities and called for a reevaluation of the sanctions.
Special rapporteurs are part of what is known as the special procedures of the UN Human Rights Council. They are independent experts who work on a voluntary basis, are not members of UN staff and are not paid for their work.


US President Donald Trump ‘unpredictable’: Greenland PM

US President Donald Trump ‘unpredictable’: Greenland PM
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US President Donald Trump ‘unpredictable’: Greenland PM

US President Donald Trump ‘unpredictable’: Greenland PM
NUUK: US President Donald Trump, who wants to take over Greenland, is very erratic, the island’s premier said on Monday, the eve of the self-governing Danish territory’s legislative elections.
“There is a world order that is faltering on many fronts — and a president of the United States who is very unpredictable — in such a way that makes people feel insecure,” Prime Minister Mute Egede told Danish public radio DR.
In a speech to the US Congress last week, Trump reiterated his designs, arguing the US needed the vast Arctic island for reasons of national and international security and saying he expected to get it “one way or the other.”
Determining a timeline for Greenland’s independence from Denmark has dominated the territory’s election campaign.
In a post addressing Greenlanders on his social media platform Truth Social late on Sunday, Trump said the US was “ready to INVEST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to create new jobs and MAKE YOU RICH.”
“And, if you so choose, we welcome you to be a part of the Greatest Nation anywhere in the World, the United States of America!” he wrote.
Aaja Chemnitz — one of two Greenland representatives in the Danish parliament and a member of the prime minister’s left-green Inuit Ataqatigiit party — accused Trump of “inadmissible” election interference.
“It’s pretty desperate to make such a statement on the eve of an election in Greenland,” she said.
“As a foreign power, you’re not supposed to interfere.”


In his interview with DR, conducted before Trump published his latest post, Egede said the US president’s recent behavior had only served to push Greenlanders away.
“We deserve to be treated with respect and I don’t think the American president has done that lately since he took office,” Egede said.
“The recent things that the American president has done mean that you don’t want to get as close to (the US) as you might have wanted in the past,” he added.
In large part, Greenland’s economy is currently dependent on the fisheries sector and Danish subsidies. But Egede stressed it was already diversifying through tourism, mining and green energy generation.
He said he saw Greenland’s future as “within the Western alliance.”
“There are some security and defense policy issues where we need to ally ourselves with other countries with which we are already in alliance,” he said.
Egede said an independent Greenland in an alliance with Denmark and its other territory, the Faroe Islands, through a new, updated agreement “might be a possibility.”
The day after Trump’s speech to Congress, Egede wrote on Facebook that the 57,000 people of Greenland “don’t want to be Americans, or Danes either.”
“We are Greenlanders.”
“The Americans and their leader must understand that.”

Bangladesh denies UN pressure in PM’s ouster last year

Bangladesh denies UN pressure in PM’s ouster last year
Updated 10 March 2025
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Bangladesh denies UN pressure in PM’s ouster last year

Bangladesh denies UN pressure in PM’s ouster last year
  • A student-led uprising ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure last August
  • Thousands marched on her palace and forced autocratic premier into exile

DHAKA: Bangladesh’s armed forces denied on Monday that United Nations pressure played a role in the decision by top brass last year not to quash protests that ousted autocratic ex-premier Sheikh Hasina.
A student-led uprising ended Hasina’s 15-year tenure last August, with soldiers failing to intervene as thousands marched on her palace and forced her into exile.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk told the BBC last week that his office had warned that military involvement in any crackdown could result in Bangladeshi soldiers being banned from peacekeeping missions.
Bangladesh’s army said in a statement that it had not received “any direct communication” to that effect.
“This remark... appears to misrepresent the role of the Bangladesh Army and potentially undermines its reputation, sacrifice, and professionalism,” it said.
“During the July-August 2024 protests, the Army once again stood by the people, ensuring public safety without bias or external influence.”
Bangladesh is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping forces globally and its operations are a lucrative source of income for the country’s soldiers.
Turk said in his comments to the BBC that he had been thanked by student leaders during his visit to Bangladesh last year.
“The students were so grateful to us for taking a stand, speaking out, and supporting them,” he said.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sent a fact-finding mission to Bangladesh last year to investigate Hasina’s ouster.
Its report, published last month, found “reasonable grounds to believe that the top echelons” of Hasina’s government had committed “very serious” rights violations while attempting to suppress the protests that toppled her.
More than 800 people were killed during last year’s unrest.


Nigeria’s anti-graft agency recovers nearly $500 million in one year

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency recovers nearly $500 million in one year
Updated 10 March 2025
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Nigeria’s anti-graft agency recovers nearly $500 million in one year

Nigeria’s anti-graft agency recovers nearly $500 million in one year
  • Nigeria is ranked 140 out of 180 on Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index

LAGOS: Nigeria’s economic crimes commission said it recovered nearly $500 million in proceeds of crime last year and secured more than 4,000 criminal convictions, its highest since the agency’s inception more than two decades ago.
Africa’s biggest energy producer, Nigeria has struggled for decades with endemic corruption, which many Nigerians say contributes to widespread poverty in the country.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which investigates and prosecutes corruption in Nigeria, said in a report on Monday that some of the recovered money was reinvested in government projects.
Nigeria is ranked 140 out of 180 on Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perception Index.
Besides cash, the EFCC said it also seized 931,052 metric tons of petroleum products, 975 real estate properties and company shares.


Russia says expelling two British ‘diplomats’ on spying charges

Russia says expelling two British ‘diplomats’ on spying charges
Updated 10 March 2025
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Russia says expelling two British ‘diplomats’ on spying charges

Russia says expelling two British ‘diplomats’ on spying charges
  • Foreign ministry has revoked their accreditations and ordered them to leave Russia within two weeks
  • The ministry also summoned an embassy representative in connection with the allegations

MOSCOW: Russia said Monday it was expelling two British “diplomats” on suspicion of carrying out espionage activities.
Announcing the expulsion of the embassy’s second secretary and husband of the first secretary, Russia’s FSB security service said “counterintelligence work had revealed an undeclared British intelligence presence under the cover of the national embassy.”
It said the two “deliberately provided false information when obtaining a permit to enter our country, thus violating Russian legislation.”
The UK did not immediately respond to the allegation.
The Russian foreign ministry has revoked their accreditations and ordered them to leave Russia within two weeks, the FSB said.
The ministry also summoned an embassy representative in connection with the allegations, it said in a post on Telegram.
Relations between Moscow and London have been strained by intelligence scandals throughout Russian President Vladimir Putin’s quarter-century in power.
The UK accused Moscow of being behind the 2006 assassination of former Russian agent and Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in a London poisoning attack.
And in 2018, Britain and its allies expelled dozens of Russian embassy officials they said were spies over the attempted poisoning of former double agent, Sergei Skripal, with Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok.
Monday’s announcement came as Russia shifts blame for the Ukraine conflict away from the United States to Europe, as US President Donald Trump’s administration seeks closer ties with the Kremlin.


Floodwaters still threaten parts of Australia’s east coast as tropical storm cleanup begins

Floodwaters still threaten parts of Australia’s east coast as tropical storm cleanup begins
Updated 10 March 2025
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Floodwaters still threaten parts of Australia’s east coast as tropical storm cleanup begins

Floodwaters still threaten parts of Australia’s east coast as tropical storm cleanup begins
  • Around 200,000 homes and businesses still without power in the region on Monday afternoon
  • Workers whose livelihoods were hampered by the storm will be eligible for welfare payments

WELLINGTON: Australia’s prime minister cautioned that the fallout from a vicious tropical storm over the weekend was “far from over” as parts of two states remained inundated with perilous floodwaters on Monday, even as the initial threat from the deluge continued to recede.
One person was killed and several others injured after heavy rain lashed Australia’s east coast on Saturday, toppling trees and power lines and inundating some parts of Queensland and New South Wales with record downpours. The two states escaped the level of chaos forecast from the tropical low weather system, which was earlier expected to make landfall as the first tropical cyclone to hit south east Queensland in 51 years – before weakening as it approached.
Still, 200,000 homes and businesses were without power in the region on Monday afternoon – after the storm prompted the biggest blackout in Queensland’s history – and more than 700 schools were closed for the day.
Those living near rivers and creeks were urged to evacuate or stay indoors as water levels continued to rise in some areas – with more rain forecast triggering further warnings during the day. Disaster was declared for the city of Ipswich, west of Brisbane, where a river was expected to flood overnight. People in surrounding suburbs were ordered to leave their homes.
Meanwhile, in other towns where floodwaters began to recede a cleanup began as power was restored for tens of thousands of people. The scale of the damage was not immediately clear.
Workers whose livelihoods were hampered by the storm will be eligible for welfare payments for up to 13 weeks beginning Tuesday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters on Monday.
In the city of Lismore in New South Wales, two military trucks helping with the rescue efforts on Saturday rolled over, injuring 13 of the 36 personnel traveling in them. One remained in hospital on Monday with injuries that were not life-threatening, Australia’s Defense Minister Richard Marles said.
The single casualty of the crisis was a 61-year-old man who disappeared in a flooded river near the New South Wales town of Dorrigo, police said. His body was recovered on Saturday.
Albanese warned residents of the two stricken states not to be “complacent” as flood warnings lingered.
“If it’s flooded, forget it,” he said, referring to traveling in or entering inundated areas.
Cyclones are common in Queensland’s tropical north but are rare in the state’s temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales. Tropical Cyclone Alfred was last week expected to become the first cyclone since 1974 to cross the Australian coast near Queensland’s state capital of Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city.
But it weakened Saturday to a tropical low, defined as carrying sustained winds of less than 63 kph (39 mph).
Authorities had feared similar scenes to those eastern Australia experienced during massive floods in 2011 and in a series of 2022 events – in which more than 20 people died.