ICC Says Investigations Moving Forward Despite US Pressure

The deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Nazhat Shameem Khan, has stated that new United States sanctions are beginning to affect staff members, though she insists that the court's work has not been hindered. The measures were announced on October 9 by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described the institution as a rogue court and issued a six-month period to negotiate a solution to address concerns. While some banking difficulties have been reported among personnel, the court is actively working to insulate itself from the hostile administration in Washington by switching its software from Microsoft to European alternatives and negotiating with service providers over banking and health insurance.

First, the office asserts that its primary missions are proceeding as planned. The deputy prosecutor stated that investigations regarding the Gaza war and other situations have made significant progress since arrest warrants were issued for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former defence minister, Yoav Galant, in November 2024. Although no further charges regarding Gaza have been announced since late 2024, Khan explained that this is because a court ruling earlier this year requires all charges and warrant applications to remain secret until judges decide they can be made public. She emphasized that while the lack of public updates might suggest inactivity, she can assure everyone that significant progress is occurring in that situation and others.

Second, the institution is facing operational challenges due to the sanctions, which are not scheduled to take effect until six months after their announcement. Khan reported that some staff members have encountered banking issues because financial institutions are over-complying to minimize risk while the scope of the measures remains uncertain. While the sanctions are technically imposed on the institution rather than its individual members, Khan noted that she is hearing from members of the staff that some of them are experiencing difficulties in banking. She is no stranger to such measures, having been among 13 ICC staff first targeted by the US in February 2025. Khan noted that life without a credit card is inconvenient, particularly regarding travel.

Third, the court is addressing unrelated internal matters. Formal investigations began in late November 2024 into allegations of sexual harassment against the former chief prosecutor, Karim Khan. The British jurist, who is no relation to the deputy prosecutor, denied the charges and was removed in July this year after a vote by member states. This month, the court's pretrial chamber unsealed four arrest warrants against Taliban members on charges of gender persecution.

The deputy prosecutor addressed claims made by Secretary Rubio regarding the potential prosecution of United States citizens. Rubio claimed without evidence this month that globalist experts an ocean away wanted the ICC to prosecute US citizens. Khan said it was unclear what he meant, noting that we certainly haven't brought any Americans before the court. She added that if the reference was to Afghanistan, the priority there is offences committed against women, girls and other vulnerable groups by the Taliban and by the Islamic State Khorasan.

Looking ahead, the court is navigating an uncertain political landscape while seeking support from international allies. The ICC registrar is negotiating with the EU over blocking the sanctions or protecting the court in other ways, and on Thursday, the European parliament awarded its Sakharov prize for freedom of thought to the court and its officials. Khan called the backing a very important message that the staff at the court need to hear. She added that she cannot anticipate the full impact once the measures officially take effect, but she stated that all investigations across all situations continue and no decision has been made to reduce capability or output based on the sanctions.