The European Union threw its support behind the International Criminal Court on Friday after the United States imposed sanctions on four ICC judges – a move condemned by EU leaders as a threat to global justice.
Slovenia said it would push Brussels to ensure the U.S. sanctions have no legal effect within Europe.
“The ICC holds perpetrators of the world’s gravest crimes to account and gives victims a voice. It must be free to act without pressure,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on X.
European Council President Antonio Costa called the court “a cornerstone of international justice” and stressed the need to defend its independence and integrity.
The Biden administration’s sanctions came in retaliation for the court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its earlier decision to investigate alleged war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
