Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC: Rubio

The U.S. on Friday imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court, hours after one of its former judges received the Nobel Peace Prize.

The measures go beyond previous restrictions on individual ICC judges and prosecutors and could prevent companies from providing the court with essential financial, technological, and other services.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the Hague-based tribunal as a threat to U.S. sovereignty and warned that Washington was prepared to undermine its operations unless its demands were met.

"Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC. We expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and that rely on American service members for their defense, to rein in the court," Rubio said.

U.S. Moves to Cut Off ICC Services

The sanctions represent a sharp escalation in Washington's campaign against the court, which prosecutes genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Rather than targeting only court personnel, the new restrictions could prevent U.S. companies from conducting business with the institution itself.

Such measures typically require banks to terminate accounts, insurance providers to withdraw coverage and technology companies to suspend services.

Rubio said the administration was seeking to deprive the tribunal of the resources needed to operate.

"We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate," he said.

The U.S. Treasury nevertheless issued four general licenses allowing certain transactions involving telecommunications, software, pension payments and ICC detainees.

Rubio said the sanctions were designed to give the court and its member countries an opportunity to negotiate a resolution that addresses Washington's objections.

He warned that further measures could follow if those discussions failed.

ICC Rejects U.S. Pressure

ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan condemned the sanctions, accusing Washington of attempting to weaken international judicial institutions.

"The sanctions are intended to undermine the rule of law internationally and the work that an independent judicial institution is doing," Khan told Reuters.

She insisted that the court would continue its investigations and prosecutions despite the restrictions.

Earlier this week, ICC registrar Osvaldo Zavala Giler urged the European Union to consider activating its blocking mechanism to protect European entities from the extraterritorial effects of U.S. sanctions.