In The Hague there are two major international courts that are often confused. One is the UN's International Court of Justice (ICJ), based in the historic Peace Palace, which settles disputes between states. The other is the International Criminal Court (ICC), established in 2002 to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Housed in a modern glass-and-concrete building, the ICC has 125 member states — not all 193 UN members. The US, Russia and China are among the countries that have not joined, along with several states in Asia and North Africa.
When US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently threatened to dismantle the court "brick by brick," it was clear he was referring to the ICC. In a statement, the State Department outlined a number of measures Washington is considering as part of its campaign against the court. These include visa restrictions on ICC staff and tougher sanctions targeting the court and affiliated organizations. It also suggested increased scrutiny of countries "that refuse to reject the ICC's illegitimate authority" while continuing to receive US assistance.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has significantly escalated his rhetoric against the ICCImage: Eric Lee/REUTERS
