The US House of Representatives has approved a bill that would authorize Washington to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its proceedings against the United States and its allies. The meeting was broadcast by television channel C-SPAN.
The document was supported by 247 deputies, 155 opposed it. The text of the bill, presented at the initiative of the Republicans, emphasizes that the Washington administration should impose sanctions on the ICC if this body ‘attempts to investigate, detain, arrest or prosecute any person under protection’. This category includes Americans, in particular the military, anyone working for the American government and citizens of countries allied with Washington if these states do not recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC.
The restrictions imposed by the United States in the cases described may also apply to individuals who collaborate with the ICC. Being placed on the sanctions list results in denial of visas, freezing of assets in the United States,
and a ban on US citizens and businesses doing business with individuals on the sanctions list.
As the document points out, American deputies condemn the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, for having asked the Pre-Trial Chamber, on May 20, to issue arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. According to Khan, the prosecutor’s office has gathered evidence that suggests they are “responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Palestinian territory since at least October 8, 2023.” At the same time, the prosecutor requested arrest warrants for three leaders of the radical Hamas movement.
Source: Burkina Information Agency