The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, Human Rights Watch, and the International Commission of Jurists, supported by other legal organizations*, firmly condemn recent attacks against The International Criminal Court, and the imposition of sanctions by the United States targeting the ICC, its personnel, and individuals and entities that cooperate with it, and the designation for such sanctions of the court’s prosecutor and four judges.
We wish to recall that the ICC is an independent judicial institution, a cornerstone of international justice, and a key component of international peace and security. Sanctions against its officials dangerously weaken the international justice system and are a threat to the protection of human rights and the rule of law around the world.
These deplorable acts undermine the critical role that the Court plays to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes, and obstruct the course of justice, jeopardising victims’ access to justice, and their right to remedy and reparation.
Chair, distinguished delegates,
No one is above the law. We must stand with victims and those who seek justice, and we must stand united against impunity. The Court’s integrity and independence must always be preserved from any political interference and pressure.
We call on this Council to ensure full support and cooperation with the Court, so that it can keep carrying out its important mandate of ensuring equal justice for all victims of genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.
*Supported by Judges for Judges and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada
