(Washington, DC) – The US government on September 4, 2025 used its International Criminal Court-related sanctions program to impose sanctions on three leading Palestinian human rights organizations—Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights.
The following quote can be attributed to Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch:
“The Trump administration’s sanctions on three widely respected Palestinian human rights groups are a cruel and vindictive effort to punish those simply advocating for victims of serious crimes. The sanctions target human rights defenders for seeking accountability, amid unimaginably difficult circumstances, and follow US sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors, and a UN human rights expert.
ICC member countries need to speak out against mounting US efforts to thwart the global rule of law and the work of human rights defenders. They should act through blocking statutes and other measures to protect the ICC and those who seek justice before the court for the world’s worst atrocities.”
