🔴 Prisoners’ Institutions: U.S. Sanctions Against International Criminal Court Target International Justice System, Seek to Undermine It

October 10, 2026

Ramallah, occupied Palestine — Palestinian prisoners’ institutions affirmed that the U.S. administration’s decision to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court constitutes a direct assault on the international justice system and an attempt to undermine its role in holding perpetrators of international crimes accountable, while shielding those responsible from accountability, foremost among them the leaders of the Israeli occupation.

The institutions stated that this decision comes amid ongoing pressure exerted by the United States on the Court and all entities cooperating with it, in an attempt to obstruct efforts to ensure accountability for crimes committed against the Palestinian people. They said this reflects a push to strip the international system of its fundamental role in protecting peoples and safeguarding their rights, while undermining its ability to enforce international law.

They added that targeting the International Criminal Court, alongside the pursuit and punishment of Palestinian human rights organizations for cooperating with it, exposes ongoing efforts to entrench impunity and undermine any international legal process that could lead to the Israeli occupation being held accountable for its crimes.

The prisoners’ institutions stressed that the danger posed by these measures is not limited to the international Criminal Court but extends to the entire international legal system and its mechanisms for protection and accountability. This threatens victims’ right to access justice and entrenches logic in which power prevails at the expense of the law.

The institutions called on the international community and the States Parties to the Rome Statute to take serious and effective steps to protect the independence of the International Criminal Court, reject the pressure and sanctions imposed against it, and ensure that it can continue its work without threats or coercion. They said this is essential to ensuring that perpetrators of international crimes are held accountable and are not granted protection from justice.