Four US-based human rights groups filed a new lawsuit on Tuesday against the Trump administration’s campaign against the International Criminal Court, alleging that sanctions on the tribunal and organisations cooperating with it violate constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and due process.
The American Friends Service Committee, the Centre for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch and the Open Society Institute say the sanctions have forced them to curtail work involving war-crime victims, legal submissions and cooperation with Palestinian rights groups.
What the lawsuit alleges
The groups argue that the sanctions exceed presidential authority and are based on what a Human Rights Watch statement called a “pseudo ‘national emergency’”. They say the measures deter human rights defenders and interfere with activities such as representing victims, researching abuses, coordinating advocacy and providing humanitarian aid.
The lawsuit also argues that the reach of US financial and technology companies is chilling organisations that do not operate in the United States. James Goldston of the Open Society Justice Initiative called the sanctions an assault on independent judges, prosecutors and civil society.
Related coverage: US diplomats stage walkout at UN following French criticism of Trump administration’s human rights record.
How the sanctions campaign developed
Trump issued an executive order in February 2025 authorising sanctions against ICC prosecutors, judges and other officials, as well as people and groups supporting the court’s investigations. The order cited the ICC’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged war crimes in Gaza and its investigation into possible abuses by foreign forces in Afghanistan, including US military and intelligence personnel.
Several ICC judges and prosecutors have since been sanctioned, along with Palestinian rights groups that provided evidence to the court and UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese. Earlier legal challenges were filed by DAWN and the Taxpayers Alliance Against Genocide, while ICC judges and Albanese’s family also sued over sanctions including US travel bans and asset restrictions.
What happens next
The new case joins previous challenges to the administration’s sanctions policy. Federal judges in Maine and New York ruled last year that the executive order violated the constitutional rights of individual advocates and academics who provide expertise to the ICC.
More context: Rights groups challenge Trump birthright citizenship orders.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last month that Washington would increase pressure intended to “disable” the ICC, including greater scrutiny of how countries receiving US assistance engage with the court and increased penalties on officials. Chad has cited pressure from Washington in announcing its withdrawal from the ICC.
Also read: Comey Alleges Trump Influenced Criminal Case Over ‘8647’ Seashell Image.
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