US preparing new sanctions against the International Criminal Court

The United States is preparing a new round of potentially serious sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, U.S. and Dutch officials say, marking a further escalation by the administration of Donald Trump toward the global tribunal.

Dutch authorities have been informed by American representatives that measures targeting the institution could come soon, and The Hague is moving to shore up the court's operations, staff pay and witness protection in case sanctions are imposed.

Operational changes and contingency planning

According to court insiders, the ICC has already begun technical and financial workarounds: the tribunal has replaced Microsoft products with software from a German provider, and has shifted insurance and banking partners to firms without a U.S. presence. Dutch officials and court leadership are asking for a transitional period of roughly six months to sever remaining ties with U.S. companies and avoid the penalties those firms could face if they violated American measures.

Washington has previously imposed sanctions on more than a dozen current and former ICC staff, including about half of the court's sitting judges. "U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the policy as 'a comprehensive campaign to remove the threat posed by the International Criminal Court.'" Sanctions have been presented as a response to ICC inquiries into alleged crimes involving American and Israeli personnel; neither the United States nor Israel are among the court's roughly 125 member states.

Critics say the use of tools normally reserved for autocratic regimes and criminal networks could cripple the court's access to banking and information systems and even block payments to American nationals employed by the institution. When a former chief prosecutor was sanctioned in 2025, he lost access to Microsoft email, had bank accounts frozen and was barred entry to the United States.

Dutch and European options to shield the ICC are limited. The EU's so‑called blocking statute could bar European companies from complying with U.S. sanctions to protect European staff, but it is unclear whether that mechanism can safeguard an international, rather than exclusively European, organisation. Meanwhile, several states that are members of the global tribunal have recently signalled plans to withdraw; among them are Venezuela and Chad.

Photo: press material from the event