THE ICCBA CONDEMNS FURTHER US SANCTIONS AGAINST THE PRESIDENT OF THE ICC AND A SENIOR TRIAL LAWYER

The International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA) strongly condemns the latest expansion of United States sanctions against officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including H.E. Judge Tomoko Akane, President of the ICC, and Mr Abdoulaye Seye, Senior Trial Lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor.

These latest designations represent a further escalation of measures directed against individuals carrying out their professional responsibilities under the Rome Statute and form part of a broader pattern of sanctions affecting judges, prosecutors, other individuals associated with the Court and civil society organisations.

The targeting of individuals for performing their duties threatens the independence of the ICC and undermines the fundamental principle that judicial and legal professionals must be able to carry out their functions free from political pressure, intimidation or coercion. Such measures risk obstructing the effective functioning of the Court and, ultimately, access to justice for victims of the most serious international crimes.

The ICCBA once again calls upon all States Parties to the Rome Statute, international organisations and others committed to the rule of law to express their unequivocal support for the independence of the Court and for those working to fulfil its mandate. Effective measures should be taken to protect the Court, its officials and those who work with it from external pressure and retaliation. The independence of the Court must not be compromised or made subject to political pressure as a consequence of such measures.

As the independent representative body of defence and victims’ counsel and their teams practising before the ICC, the ICCBA is particularly conscious of the wider impact that sanctions and other coercive measures may have upon the ability of legal professionals to perform their duties and upon the effective administration of justice. The ICCBA stands in solidarity with Judge Akane, Mr Seye, all other sanctioned Court officials and personnel, and those who continue to carry out their work in support of international justice in increasingly challenging circumstances.

The ICCBA reiterates its call for the immediate reversal of these sanctions and for the independence and integrity of the ICC and all those engaged in its work to be respected.