Recent reports indicated that the United States of America is targeting the heads of the International Criminal Court with sanctions for investigating possible crimes committed by Americans.
The US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo announced the sanctions which includes, travel barns, a freeze on assets in the U.S.A, etc on Wednesday, August 2nd, 2020. “Today we take the next step because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly,” he stated.
The International Court’s current chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda Fatou Bensouda and the head of jurisdiction, Phakiso Mochochoko are reported to be the main victims to this sanctions by the Trump administration.
According to reports, the Director of the court’s Jurisdiction, Complementary and Cooperation Division, Phakiso Mochochoko has also faced sanctions for what the Secretary of state described as “having materially assisted Prosecutor Bensouda.” Other workers at the court equally faced visa denials.
The International Criminal Court has in recent times mounted a thorough investigation to ascertain whether the forces of the United States committed war crimes in Afghanistan per the consistent allegations; a decision believed by many to have triggered the sanctions.
Richard Dicker, an international justice director at Human Rights Watch, referred to the sanctions as “a stunning perversion of U.S. sanctions, devised to penalize rights abusers and kleptocrats, to persecute those tasked with prosecuting international crimes.” He added that “The Trump administration has twisted these sanctions to obstruct justice, not only for certain war crimes victims but for atrocity victims anywhere looking to the International Criminal Court for justice.”
The ICC has since faced criticisms for being bias through the continuous targeting of African leaders since its inception with countries such as South Africa, the Gambia and Burundi threatening to exit the body; an allegation the international body has denied severally.
Now that some bold steps taken by the institution against America is attracting sanctions, does that self-fulfill the numerous allegations of discrimination? Let’s hear from you!
@EYEGAMBIA
