US sanctions ICC prosecutor Karim Khan for Israel indictments

The US sanctioned International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan on Thursday as a result of President Donald Trump’s executive order to go after the court for “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting American and our close ally Israel.”

Trump signed an executive order last week to sanction the ICC for its decision to issue indictments and arrest warrants for embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for the Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

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“The ICC’s recent actions against Israel and the United States set a dangerous precedent, directly endangering current and former United States personnel, including active service members of the Armed Forces, by exposing them to harassment, abuse, and possible arrest,” read Trump’s executive order.

The EO called the ICC’s moves “malign conduct” that “threatens to infringe upon the sovereignty of the United States and undermines the critical national security and foreign policy work of the United States Government and our allies, including Israel.”

The court’s president has condemned Trump’s order, and United Nations deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq on Thursday called the ICC “a fundamental pillar of international justice.”

The court is independent, but the UN was instrumental in creating it, and the ICC’s top prosecutor sometimes briefs the UN Security Council.

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