Unic Press UK: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reacted to the United States stance that neither the state nor its allies are subject to the decision of the ICC.
“If the court comes after us, Israel or other US allies, we will not sit quietly. We will ban its judges and prosecutors from entering the United States. We will sanction their funds in the US financial system, and we will prosecute them in the US criminal system. We will do the same for any company or state that assists an ICC investigation of Americans,” White House National Security Advisor John Bolton said Monday when he addressed The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, [simply called the Federalist Society] an organization of legal conservatives and libertarians.
In a Press Release issued Tuesday, the President of the Assembly of States Parties to Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and a former ICTY Judge, O-Gon Kwon, said that the ICC remains “an independent and impartial judicial institution”, working towards bringing justice to people affected by grave crimes under international law. Kwon said:
“The International Criminal Court is an independent and impartial judicial institution crucial for ensuring accountability for the gravest crimes under international law. The Court is non-political and acts strictly within the legal framework of the Rome Statute, its founding treaty. The Court’s mandate is to help put an end to impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole and to bring justice to those affected by such crimes.
“One of the cornerstones of the Rome Statute system is that it recognizes the primary jurisdiction of States to investigate and prosecute atrocity crimes. The jurisdiction of the Court is only complementary to domestic jurisdictions.
“The Court is encouraged by the strong support and cooperation, not only of the 123 States Parties to the Rome Statute, but also by the support it has received from other States and international organizations and civil society in carrying out its mandate. This commitment was recently reaffirmed on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Rome Statute this July.
“The Assembly of States Parties remains committed to uphold and defend the principles and values enshrined in the Rome Statute, including in particular the judicial independence of the Court.“
