US Revokes ICC Sanctions
President Joe Biden revoked an executive order that authorized sanctions against the International Criminal Court (see 2006110028), reversing a Trump administration decision that sparked strong opposition from allies and human rights advocates (see 2011030007 and 2010020030). The move lifted sanctions against ICC prosecutors and officials (see 2009020049), the State Department said April 2, adding that the measures were “inappropriate and ineffective.”
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The Trump administration originally imposed the sanctions on the ICC for investigating whether the U.S. committed war crimes in Afghanistan and for efforts to detain and prosecute U.S. government personnel. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. continues to “disagree strongly with the ICC's actions relating to the Afghanistan and Palestinian situations” but said sanctions and visa restrictions aren’t the right solution. “[O]ur concerns about these cases would be better addressed through engagement with all stakeholders in the ICC process rather than through the imposition of sanctions,” Blinken said.