ICC prepares for possible US sanctions, prosecutor says

The International Criminal Court is preparing technical alternatives in case future US sanctions hit the institution itself, interim chief prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said, while arguing that Washington's pressure on the court stems from a misunderstanding of its role.

Niang told AFP in his first interview since taking over as the court's top prosecutor that the ICC had no interest in infringing state sovereignty. “We know we aren't the world's police,” he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to dismantle the ICC “brick by brick” and described it as an “intolerable threat to US sovereignty.” Washington has imposed sanctions on ICC officials after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close US ally.

The United States is not an ICC member and has never ratified the Rome Statute that established the court. Israel, Russia and China are also not members.

Niang, who is among the ICC officials under US sanctions, said the measures had made it virtually impossible to access payment systems or perform routine tasks such as booking flights and hotels. He said the greater concern was the threat of additional sanctions against the institution, especially measures that could affect its technological resources.

Niang is also preparing to prosecute former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte, who is due to stand trial over alleged crimes committed during his so-called “war on drugs.” Niang said it was not impossible that arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Netanyahu could one day lead to court appearances.

He took over the Office of the Prosecutor after his predecessor Karim Khan was dismissed over sexual abuse allegations, which Khan denies. Niang said the office needed continuity while ICC member states elect a new permanent prosecutor, a process expected to take several months.