Trump administration to impose sanctions against the International Criminal Court

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo denounced the International Criminal Court as a “highly politicized” institution on Wednesday morning as he announced new sanctions against it for its investigation into potential war crimes by U.S. forces during the years-long war in Afghanistan.

Video Transcript

MIKE POMPEO: We cannot and we will not stand by as our people are threatened by a kangaroo court. And indeed, I have a message to many close allies around the world. Your people could be next-- especially those from NATO countries, who fight terrorism in Afghanistan right alongside of us. The Trump administration is taking the following actions.

First, we're authorizing the imposition of economic sanctions against ICC officials directly engaged in ICC efforts to investigate US personnel or allied personnel against that allied state's consent, and against others who material support such officials' activities. Designations will be made on a case-by-case basis against specific individuals or entities

And second the United States is expanding visa restrictions for officials directly engaged in those same investigations. We're extending and expanding these restrictions to include their family members. It gives us no joy to punish them, but we cannot allow ICC officials and their families to come to the United States, to shop, travel, and otherwise enjoy American freedoms as these same officials seek to prosecute the defender of those very freedoms.