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PRESS RELEASE
25 July 2025,
Madrid, Spain
Human Right Watch (HRW), the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) also took the floor to condemn threats and attacks against the Court, its officials, and those cooperating with it, including the sanctions imposed by the United States: “Sanctions against its officials (…) are a threat to the protection of human rights and the rule of law around the world. These deplorable acts (…) obstruct the course of justice, jeopardising victims’ access to justice, and their right to remedy and reparation.” The organizations concluded that “[n]o one is above the law and that the international community “must stand with victims and those who seek justice” and “must stand united against impunity.” Sanctions are a tool to be used against those responsible for the most serious crimes, not against those seeking justice on behalf of victims. States should take concrete action to mitigate the effects of any coercive measures aimed at hampering the Court’s work, including the adoption and implementation of national and regional blocking statutes.
These statements were made on the occasion of the HRC annual discussion with the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Professor Margaret Satterthwaite. She has repeatedly warned against such attacks on the ICC and other international courts.
International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
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At the 59th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN independent human rights experts, States and civil society firmly condemned the United States (US) retaliatory sanctions and threats against International Criminal Court (ICC) officials and other persons supporting the Court.
Example of a link: International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute
“I am therefore deeply disturbed by attacks on the international institutions that underpin our rights, including the International Criminal Court. Sanctioning judges and prosecutors at national, regional or international levels, for doing their jobs, is an assault on the rule of law and corrodes justice,” the High Commissioner added.
The executive order appears designed not only to intimidate Court officials and staff involved in the Court’s critical investigations, but also to have a chilling effect on broader cooperation with the ICC, including by victims themselves and civil society organizations supporting them. Victims, survivors and witnesses, as well as human rights defenders and members of civil society organizations supporting and cooperating with the Court, may fall within the order’s scope. The sanctions risk undercutting cooperation from various quarters, potentially resulting in the Court losing access to information and evidence necessary to investigate, arrest, detain and prosecute perpetrators of atrocities. It could also result in the Court losing access to essential goods and services necessary to carry out its global mandate.
These statements were made on the occasion of the HRC annual discussion with the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Professor Margaret Satterthwaite. She has repeatedly warned against such attacks on the ICC and other international courts.
The executive order appears designed not only to intimidate Court officials and staff involved in the Court’s critical investigations, but also to have a chilling effect on broader cooperation with the ICC, including by victims themselves and civil society organizations supporting them. Victims, survivors and witnesses, as well as human rights defenders and members of civil society organizations supporting and cooperating with the Court, may fall within the order’s scope. The sanctions risk undercutting cooperation from various quarters, potentially resulting in the Court losing access to information and evidence necessary to investigate, arrest, detain and prosecute perpetrators of atrocities. It could also result in the Court losing access to essential goods and services necessary to carry out its global mandate.
