ICC condemns American sanctions; Opposition wants harsher stance from government
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has condemned the sanctions United States President Donald Trump is seeking to impose on its officials via an executive order. Various human rights organizations have also fiercely criticized the move. The opposition parties in the Netherlands would like to see a harsher stance from the Dutch Cabinet.
In a brief response, the ICC, which is based in The Hague, said it “stands firmly by its personnel and pledges to continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world.”
Trump’s sanctions are intended as punishment for the ICC’s arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. The sanctions consist of financial penalties and visa restrictions for people who help the ICC with investigating American citizens and U.S. allies.
Foreign Affairs Minister Caspar Veldkamp (NSC) said he regretted the sanctions. Opposition parties would like harsher condemnation.
The Netherlands, as host country to the ICC, must do more, GroenLinks-PvdA MP Kati Piri said on X. “Trump does not care about international law, he only believes in the law of the strongest. The investigation and prosecution of war criminals must continue. As the host country, the Netherlands has a duty to protect the ICC. It is up to the government to deliver.” She added: “Trump sanctioning the ICC is a gift to war criminals and a slap in the face of millions of victims worldwide for whom the ICC is the last resort for justice.”
D66 leader Rob Jetten called the government’s response “weak stuff,” urging the Cabinet to call the American ambassador to account. “As the seat of international institutions and courts, The Hague has the nickname ‘city of peace and justice.’ We must defend that with tooth and nail.”
“Regret is not enough,” said SP parliamentarian Sarah Dobbe. “Our government, the host country of the International Criminal Court, must take action to protect it!”
Pieter Omtzigt, leader of the coalition party NSC, called the ICC “an important institution in the international legal order, especially against genocide and crimes against humanity.”
Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right PVV, the largest coalition party, sided with Trump. “Can’t the International Criminal Court be moved to Belgium or something? Never understood what we gain from that club being located here,” Wilders posted on X.
The ICC was established to prosecute people worldwide for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. 125 countries around the world are members of the court, including the Netherlands. The U.S., China, Russia, and Israel are not.
Among other things, Trump argued that the ICC’s sanctions were unlawful because Israel is not a member of the court. According to André Nollkaemper, a professor of international law at the University of Amsterdam, that argument holds no water. “The U.S. and Israel may not be a party, but Palestine is. The court does have jurisdiction over all crimes committed on the territory of Palestine. The only exception is the possible arrest of Netanyahu: international law gives all sitting government leaders immunity from prosecution. But the American decree is much broader than Netanyahu and there is no legal basis for it,” he explained to NOS.
Amnesty International called Trump’s sanctions “vindictive and aggressive,” among other things. “It is a brutal move that seeks to destroy what the international community has carefully built over the decades if not centuries: global rules that apply to everyone and aim to deliver justice for all. The sanctions go against our common humanity,” said Agnès Callamard, secretary general of the human rights organization.
Human Rights Watch said that the United States is siding with war criminals. Trump’s sanctions “undermine international accountability for the worst crimes and deprive victims around the world of justice.”
António Costa, president of the European Council, the council of European leaders, also condemned the sanctions. “Sanctioning the ICC threatens the Court’s independence and undermines the international criminal justice system as a whole,” he said on X.
