UN Experts Urge US Senate To Reject Bill Against ICC

1/10/2025 3:05:33 PM

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) GENEVA, Jan 10 (KUNA) -- UN experts called on Friday on the U.S. Senate to reject a bill aiming to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) as it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu and former war minister of defense Yoav Gallant.
This came in a statement issued by UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Margaret Satterthwaite, UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, and UN Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and equitable international order Georgios Katrougalos.
They accused the US of trying to thwart accountability and hindering the ICC action as it is neutral and independent court.
Stressing threats to the court enhances the culture of impunity and undermines the rule of law, they affirmed.
The ICC has a mandate to investigate and file lawsuits against individuals for international dangerous crimes represented in genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, the statement noted.
"The tireless work of brave legal professionals at the ICC is the main driver for accountability. The work of its prosecutors becomes the foundation upon which our efforts to uphold the integrity of the system of international law is resting," the experts said.
Carrying out these sanctions constitutes a violation of Article 70 of the Rome Statute that punishes efforts to impede or intimidate an official of the court or to retaliate against an official of the court on account of duties performed by that official, they warned.
They called on the US legislators to back the rule of law, and independence of judges and lawyers as well as respect the court's independence.
On Thursday, the US Congress passed the "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act" in a 243-140 vote, and it was referred to the Senate for approval. (end)
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