Human rights groups sue Trump administration over ICC sanctions

Aug. 11 (UPI) — Four human rights groups sued the Trump administration Tuesday over “crippling” sanctions on judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court, saying the executive order is unconstitutional and punishes those doing important human rights work.

The American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch and the Open Society Institute filed the lawsuit Tuesday in federal court.

The groups said the sanctions against ICC prosecutors and judges, a U.N. human rights expert and three Palestinian human rights groups undermine “access to justice for victims of serious international crimes around the globe and prevents civil society from working together to combat impunity.” They said the sanctions are “a blatantly illegal attack on international justice.”

In February 2025, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that imposed the sanctions on some of those affiliated with the ICC after the body called for investigations into the Israeli government’s military actions in Gaza. The court investigates war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

The new lawsuit said the sanctions force the groups to “curtail a wide range of human rights and legal work in violation of their First and Fifth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution and under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” It also said sanctions exceed Trump’s powers and are based on a “pseudo ‘national emergency’ that has no basis in fact.”

“The U.S. government’s effort to dismantle the ICC and punish people seeking justice for grave human rights violations harm far more than the individuals and groups seeking sanctions,” said Joyce Ajlouny, general secretary of the American Friends Service Committee. “This executive order seeks to intimidate human rights defenders and deter people of conscience from advocating for the rights and dignity of others. We are joining this lawsuit because we refuse to stay silent when the pursuit of justice is criminalized.”

In July, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio further announced a plan to “systematically disable” the ICC. He said the United States would use diplomatic pressure and sanctions, including visa revocations and travel bans for ICC personnel and investigations of nations that “refuse to reject the ICC’s false authority.”

Rubio called the ICC “an intolerable threat to U.S.sovereignty” and said, “the ICC and its friends are waging a war against our country.”