Fijian Nazhat Shameem Khan, Deputy Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has strongly condemned fresh United States sanctions against the tribunal, warning that the measures are intended to undermine the international rule of law.
Speaking to Reuters, Khan said the sanctions would not deter the court from carrying out its mandate.
“The sanctions are intended to undermine the rule of law internationally and the work that an independent judicial institution is doing,” Khan said.
“Our work will continue across all our situations, our investigations and our prosecutions.”
The comments follow the announcement of sanctions by US President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday, placing Washington on a diplomatic collision course with its European allies.
The sanctions were announced just hours after a former ICC judge was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The ICC has also denounced the sanctions, describing them as an “assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order.”
The court has called on its 125 member states to take action to defend its independence and operations.
“The Court cannot stand alone. Its fate now rests also in the hands of the states that created it,” the ICC said in a statement.
“This is not just about defending a single institution, but about safeguarding the international order grounded upon the rule of law. History will judge this moment.”
Despite the latest US measures, Khan has maintained that the court will continue its investigations and prosecutions.
