US sanctions on ICC prosecutor unacceptable, says EU

[Ulmita]

The US blacklisted Bensouda on Wednesday over her investigation into whether American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan, under sanctions authorised by Donald Trump in June that allow for asset freezes and travel bans.
Sanctions were also imposed on Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of The Hague-based ICC jurisdiction, complementarity and cooperation division.
“The sanctions ... are unacceptable and unprecedented measures that attempt to obstruct the court’s investigations and judicial proceedings,” Josep Borrell said. Washington should “reconsider its position and reverse the measures it has taken”, he added.
France’s foreign minister also condemned the sanctions and pledged his country’s unwavering support for the court and its staff.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020...ptable-says-eu

How should the rest of the word handle this? It is outrageous to say the least, to target individuals in order to stop an ongoing investigation.


PS: Please don't make this a "Its all Trump's fault" thread. USA's hostile stance torwards ICC dates back many presidents

[Slant]

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2020...ptable-says-eu

How should the rest of the word handle this? It is outrageous to say the least, to target individuals in order to stop an ongoing investigation.


PS: Please don't make this a "Its all Trump's fault" thread. USA's hostile stance torwards ICC dates back many presidents

Sanction the US just like we sanction Russia. It's what you do with regimes that think they're above internationally acceptable standards.

[Cerilis]

Sanction the US just like we sanction Russia. It's what you do with regimes that think they're above internationally acceptable standards.

^ this

Also, I suggest to give the US only one thing of what they want: a wall around their borders and a grounding until they have reflected on what they have done and sorted it out. Can't have the rest of the sane world have to bear with their antics!
That was a joke, unfortunately it's not that easy.

[silveth]

I am going to say, good. The UN and all its pieces have become fully political.

If I were the US, I would agree to work with the investigation right after the ICC visits the Muslim concentration camps in China.

Oh wait, the UN, the ICC, the WHO couldn't actually look into that, or even speak about it, might make China upset.

[Endus]

I am going to say, good. The UN and all its pieces have become fully political.

The UN has always been entirely political. It's a political association. Where the hell did you get the idea that they were in any respect apolitical?

If you meant partisan, that's absolute horse shit and nothing about this reflects any partisan standing regarding American political groups. You'd have to be an extremist to think that.

If I were the US, I would agree to work with the investigation right after the ICC visits the Muslim concentration camps in China.

Oh wait, the UN, the ICC, the WHO couldn't actually look into that, or even speak about it, might make China upset.

So, you haven't paid any attention at all to UN actions, then, and are making up fictions instead.

https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/03/06/...injiang-abuses

[nonameelf]

I am going to say, good. The UN and all its pieces have become fully political.

That's... that's literally the point of the UN...

[announced]

The UN is toothless anyway. The most they could do is write a stern letter since all of the powerful nations typically have a veto power so nothing really gets done.
China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) can veto any "substantive" resolution. They could bulldoze the UN and turn it into something useful instead, like a Wendy's.

As for the ICC I'm not commenting on them since I would need to read more about it and what they do. Are they effective or are they just ignored like the UN as well?

[Masark]

As for the ICC I'm not commenting on them since I would need to read more about it and what they do. Are they effective or are they just ignored like the UN as well?

It's a permanent international court for dealing with war crimes and crimes against humanity where the local courts are incapable of or unwilling to deal with the perpetrators. It's basically a successor to previous ad hoc courts like the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

[Polyxo]

The EU should freeze Trump's assets within their borders.

[Zaydin]

The EU should freeze Trump's assets within their borders.

Pretty sure that would almost instantly bankrupt him, which I would say go for it. Bastard deserves to be taken down a few hundred pegs.

[Slant]

Pretty sure that would almost instantly bankrupt him, which I would say go for it. Bastard deserves to be taken down a few hundred pegs charged with high treason.

There, fixed that for you.

[s_bushido]

I am going to say, good. The UN and all its pieces have become fully political.

If I were the US, I would agree to work with the investigation right after the ICC visits the Muslim concentration camps in China.

Oh wait, the UN, the ICC, the WHO couldn't actually look into that, or even speak about it, might make China upset.

"BUT WUT ABOUT CHINA?!!"

Pathetic.

Another country doing bad things doesn't excuse the bad things your own is doing, in case you weren't aware.

Even if the propaganda you're regurgitating about these international bodies ignoring China was 100% true, you'd think it was a good thing that your country was held to a higher standard than an authoritarian regime with no concern for human life. Especially if you bought into that American Exceptionalism garbage that half this country actually seems to believe is true.

[Shadowferal]

Pfft...how often does Israel ignore them?

[Easo]

Pfft...how often does Israel ignore them?

Israel, like the USA, is not a signatory. Also, I fail to see they have to do with this case about USA. China, India and Russia are not signatories too (ok, gonna be honest, we all know why, and no, it is not just the evil politicians being at fault).

[eschatological]

Pfft...how often does Israel ignore them?

Israel has ignored a shit ton of General Assembly resolutions, which have no force of law. So they're irrelevant.

They haven't ignored a Security Council recommendation in awhile, mainly because we shill for them and (threaten to, if not outright) veto any SC actionable resolution on them.

As has been pointed out, the ICC is very much concerned about the Ugyur genocide in China. That excuse is tired and blatant propaganda.

[Slant]

The really interesting question is what the EU intends to do here. The US doesn't really care what the EU thinks is acceptable or not, that much should be clear by now. I think the EU doesn't really expect any reaction, either. To me this feels like a political play to be the good guy once more, increasing soft power for the low, low price of losing a little soft power in the US. A little, because America tends to not notice whatever happens outside of the US a lot. So who cares.

[october breeze]

Hasn't always USA been thinking its above law? and can do whatever fuck they want?
How many wars they have started? How many coupes?

Only difference is that this administration doesn't follow the old charade and facade. It can be due to Trump being both stupid and a bully at the same time.

[Kellhound]

As the US is not legally bound to cooperate with the ICC, I could see preventing anyone working on their behalf from entering the US or talking to any US troops, but not putting sanctions on them. That's a bit much.

Mind you, I also believe in the UCMJ and disagree with pardons.

[Easo]

It simply seems petty. The US will refuse to abide by any results the court presents regardless as a non-signatory and sovereign state. It also has every right for the same reasons to not cooperate with the court. But there is no sense in being antagonistic to the court and impeding the court's investigations except for political pandering.

In short, welcome to Trump politics, where everything is for keeping up his voterbase. And since humans have always been vulnerable to being bullshitted about external enemies, well...