KABUL - The United States has lifted sanctions on the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor reversing the Trump administration’s decision.
The Trump government imposed financial curbs and a US visa ban on Fatou Bensouda last year when she launched a probe into alleged war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan.
On Friday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said an assessment concluded the measures adopted by the previous administration were inappropriate and ineffective.
The sanctions were lifted as Biden revoked the executive order issued by his predecessor, reversing all curbs and visa bans, Deutsche Welle reported.
The United States would stoutly protect its current and former personnel from ICC attempts to exercise jurisdiction over them, Blinken pledged.
The secretary of state made clear his country continued to “disagree strongly” with the Hague-based court’s moves on Afghanistan.
In a statement, the secretary said “We believe, however, that our concerns about these cases would be better addressed through engagement with all stakeholders in the ICC process rather than through the imposition of sanctions.”
Assembly of States Parties Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi hoped the decision “signals the start of a new phase of our common undertaking to fight against impunity” for war crimes.
She believed the Lifting of sanctions would contribute to strengthening the work of the court and, more generally, to promoting a rules-based international order. (Pajhwok)