US rights groups sue Trump administration over ICC sanctions

Four US-based rights groups sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for its sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a statement, the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute called the sanctions "blatantly illegal". 

They said they are being forced "to curtail a wide range of human rights and legal work in violation of... First and Fifth Amendment rights under the US Constitution and under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act", given that anyone who appears to associate with ICC cases or officials could now face legal repercussions. 

Just days after he assumed power in late January 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to sanction the ICC over its investigations into top Israeli officials.

British barrister Karim Khan, who was the ICC's chief prosecutor, was the only person named as a sanctioned individual.  

He has since been removed through a member states' vote, albeit due to sexual assault allegations. Khan has denied them. 

The executive order followed a White House visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the ICC over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza since October 2023.

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