 "Trump's ICC sanctions: Prosecutor Karim Khan first person to be hit with travel ban. File Image/Reuters")
International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan has become the first person to be hit with economic and travel sanctions authorised by US President Donald Trump, news agency Reuters reported.
Khan was listed on Monday in an annex to an executive order signed by Trump last week. He is a British citizen.
These sanctions include freezing Khan’s assets in the United States and barring him and his family from entering the United States.
Earlier, President Donald Trump issued an executive order imposing economic and travel sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on February 6.
He accused the body of “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the US and Israel.
The move also bars Khan and his family from visiting the United States.
Trump’s move was followed by the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November last year.
The warrants allege responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts during the Gaza conflict.
Reuters also reported, citing sources on Friday, that Khan had been designated by Washington.
The ICC on Friday condemned the sanctions. The ICC emphasised its pledge to stand by its staff and “continue providing justice and hope to millions of innocent victims of atrocities across the world, in all situations before it.”
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More ShortsCourt officials convened a meeting in The Hague on Friday to discuss the implications of Trump’s move.
The ICC is a permanent international tribunal established to prosecute individuals for serious crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression. It was created in 2002 under the Rome Statute, which is a treaty that 123 countries have signed and ratified. The ICC is based in The Hague, Netherlands.