European leaders have rallied in support of the International Criminal Court after the United States imposed a fresh round of sanctions targeting court judges and prosecutors, marking the latest escalation in Washington’s campaign to undermine the tribunal over its investigations into Israeli officials.
The US State Department announced the new sanctions on August 18, designating additional ICC judges and expanding visa bans and asset freezes against court personnel involved in proceedings related to the situation in Palestine. The move follows a series of escalating measures that began in February 2025, when President Donald Trump signed an executive order authorizing sanctions against anyone assisting the ICC in investigations targeting US nationals or allies.
EU Leaders Issue Strong Statements
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen responded on social media, stating that the ICC “must be free to act without pressure” and reaffirming that “the EU strongly supports the International Criminal Court, a cornerstone of international justice.” European Council President António Costa added that “we must protect its independence and integrity. The rule of law must prevail over the rule of power.”
France and Belgium have been among the most vocal EU member states calling for concrete action. French judge Nicolas Guillou, one of the sanctioned ICC officials, urged the European Commission to activate the EU’s Blocking Statute, a 1996 regulation designed to shield European companies and individuals from the extraterritorial effects of foreign sanctions.
Blocking Statute Debate Intensifies
“I wanted the European Commission to put forward legislation to bar companies from implementing the US sanctions on European soil,” Guillou told reporters in Brussels. He argued that such a move would send “a very strong political message from the European Union rejecting these attacks on the rule of law and justice.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also called on the Commission to activate the Blocking Statute, and Slovenia and Belgium have formally urged the EU to invoke the regulation. The European Parliament passed a resolution in March 2025 expressing “utmost concern about US sanctions against ICC” and calling on the Commission to “urgently activate the Blocking Statute.”
However, the Commission has so far stopped short of taking that step, drawing criticism from human rights organizations and legal experts who argue that inaction amounts to complicity. The State Department has confirmed it plans to “systematically disable” and “dismantle the ICC, brick by brick, if necessary,” raising the stakes for the EU’s response.
Broader Implications for International Justice
The sanctions have already had practical effects on court operations. ICC judges have reported losing access to banking services, having credit cards frozen, and being cut off from internet platforms. Human Rights Watch warned that without EU action, service providers from banks to technology companies could preemptively refuse to deal with the ICC to avoid US penalties.
The confrontation places the EU in a difficult position. As home to the majority of ICC member states and the court’s host region, Europe has a direct stake in the tribunal’s functioning. But activating the Blocking Statute against the United States, the EU’s most important security ally, would represent a significant escalation in transatlantic tensions at a time when trade disputes and the Iran war already strain the relationship.
Sources: Reuters; US State Department; Euronews; Middle East Eye; Human Rights Watch; European Parliament
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