WASHINGTON: The United States announced on Friday it would deny visas to members of the International Criminal Court involved in investigating the actions of US troops in Afghanistan or other countries.
Pompeo's announcement of visa restrictions was the first concrete action taken by the US against the ICC since the White House threatened reprisals against the Hague-based body in September of last year. The secretary of state said visas could also be withheld from ICC personnel involved in conducting probes of US allies, specifically Israel.
"These visa restrictions will not be the end of our efforts," Pompeo said."We're prepared to take additional steps, including economic sanctions, if the ICC does not change its course."The secretary of state said the US had declined to join the ICC"because of its broad unaccountable prosecutorial powers" and the threat it proposes to American national sovereignty.
Pompeo said the US government was obliged to protect its citizens and procedures were already in place to deal with members of the US armed forces who engage in misconduct. Richard Dicker, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the US move"is a naked attempt to bully judges and impede justice for victims in Afghanistan" and"blatant contempt for the rule of law."
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