Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday called on the European Commission to activate the EU's Blocking Statute to shield the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the United Nations from US sanctions.
"Spain does not look the other way," Sanchez wrote on X. "The EU cannot stand idly by in the face of this persecution," he added, calling on Brussels to protect the independence of both institutions and their "actions to end the genocide in Gaza".
"Sanctioning those who defend international justice puts the entire human rights system at risk."
Since February last year, the administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed financial and visa sanctions on 11 ICC officials and the UN special rapporteur on Palestine in connection with the ICC’s arrest warrants against Israeli leaders and its ongoing Afghanistan investigation.
The sanctions have upended the daily lives of the targeted individuals, banned them from travel to the US, and effectively cut them off from much of the global financial system, including within Europe.
