ICC faces financial squeeze as Australia helps shield court staff
Deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan says public support and quiet diplomacy are helping the court withstand US sanctions.
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Australia joins several nations in supporting ICC amid US sanctions | ABC NEWS
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:23US sanctions have expanded from individuals toward institutional restrictions targeting access to American financial services, Dziedzic reports.
- 1:04The ICC intends to continue its investigations despite the sanctions.
- 2:00Australia signed a statement criticizing the sanctions, but Dziedzic describes its public response as comparatively muted.
- 3:05Khan says the gradual rollout allowed the court to work on insulating its operations and staff.
- 3:56Australia's diplomacy includes efforts to protect its nationals from the effects of US measures.
US sanctions against the International Criminal Court are expanding beyond individual officials toward restrictions intended to cut the institution off from American financial services, according to a report by Australia's Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC News).
Foreign affairs reporter Stephen Dziedzic describes successive waves of measures by the Trump administration, while the court says it intends to continue its investigations. The report puts Australia's less visible response at its center: diplomatic efforts to protect court personnel, including Australian nationals, from the effects of actions taken by a close ally.
ICC deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan says Australia and other countries have offered help both publicly and through quiet diplomacy behind closed doors. Dziedzic describes Canberra's public response as more cautious and muted than that of some peers, although Australia signed a joint statement criticizing the sanctions.
Khan explains that the gradual rollout gave the institution time to work on protecting its operations and personnel. "We have been working very hard at trying to insulate the court," she says. She also emphasizes that its dedicated staff continue doing their work.
Based in The Hague in the Netherlands, the ICC prosecutes individuals for international crimes, including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. It was established under the Rome Statute in 2002.
Dziedzic closes by highlighting the unusual diplomatic position Australia occupies: working with international officials to protect its citizens from US measures while continuing to advocate for multilateral institutions.
A permanent international tribunal based in The Hague that prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression. It acts when national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute.
More on Wikipedia ›A Fijian diplomat, lawyer and former judge who has served as a deputy prosecutor at the International Criminal Court since 2022.
More on Wikipedia ›Published on Trari
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In which city is the International Criminal Court based?
The ICC is based in The Hague in the Netherlands.