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The administration of United States President Donald Trump, announced sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) this Friday, just hours after it was revealed that the Nobel Peace Prize had been awarded to one of its former judges, South African Navi Pillay.
"To date, the United States has imposed sanctions on 17 individuals. Today, the State Department is announcing additional measures to defend American sovereignty and neutralize the threat posed by the ICC," the U.S. State Department announced in a statement.
"The United States never joined the Court. We don't need it. And we don't want it," said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who asserted that "for decades, both Republicans and Democrats have rejected the idea that the International Criminal Court had the authority to prosecute U.S. citizens, active-duty military personnel, or political leaders."
"We will prohibit transactions with this illegitimate court, cutting off its resources and paralyzing its ability to act against us," Rubio warned in a video message posted on social media.
The note indicated that "the Department of the Treasury is issuing a set of general licenses that authorize certain transactions involving the ICC to protect the interests of the United States."
Rubio rejected "the prosecution of American citizens: military personnel who defend their country, Border Patrol agents who protect our nation, and elected leaders who ensure our national security," and asserted that "Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute American citizens."
Despite the sanctions, Rubio maintained that he was hopeful for "a diplomatic solution."
Furthermore, he showed the United States' determination to continue its campaign to "dismantle the ICC brick by brick, until Americans no longer feel threatened."
"Our message is clear: the United States and its people are not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC," he added, "either the ICC ceases its threats, or we will finish off the ICC."
The International Criminal Court is an independent body based in The Hague, Netherlands, founded in 2002 to prosecute and try war crimes, which includes 125 member countries, including all EU and NATO members, except for the United States and Turkey.
[Publicidad]