Rights Groups Sue Trump Administration Over ICC Sanctions Impacting Human Rights Work
Four human rights organizations in the United States have filed a lawsuit against President Trump's administration, challenging the legality of sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute initiated the legal action in the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit claims that President Trump exceeded his authority by signing an executive order in February 2025, which authorized sanctions against ICC personnel and any foreign nationals or groups supporting the court's work. These sanctions were a response to the ICC's arrest warrants issued in late 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. The U.S. government has criticized these warrants as baseless and has opposed the ICC's investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. The plaintiffs argue that the ... 
