Three experts appointed by the UN Human Rights Council on Friday urged the United States Senate to oppose a bill seeking to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), and cut funding to the UN-backed tribunal, in response to its arrest warrants against Israeli leaders.
The ICC issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Go here to read our analysis of the decision and the likely next steps, and here for our ICC explainer.
Asked by reporters at the regular noon briefing if the UN chief had a view on the Congressional bill, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that although he would not comment on individual laws, “we do have a principled position…And that is, while it is independent from the Secretariat, the Secretary-General has great respect for the Court and for the work of the International Criminal Court, which is in itself a very important pillar of international justice.”
The experts – Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and George Katrougalos, Independent Expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order – outlined their concerns in a statement.
