US Attorney General Todd Blanche sent a letter to International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane, stating that the United States completely rejects any ICC jurisdiction over American citizens and will not cooperate with any investigation or legal proceeding, the US Department of Justice announced. The letter comes amid a lawsuit by ICC judges against the Trump administration seeking to lift sanctions imposed on them.
The US Department of Justice this evening confirmed that Attorney General Todd Blanche has sent a formal letter to International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane, reiterating the complete rejection of ICC jurisdiction over US citizens and declaring that the United States will not cooperate with any investigation, demand, or legal proceeding of the court. The letter, which the DOJ described as a direct response to a lawsuit filed by ICC judges against the Trump administration, marks a concrete escalation of the confrontation between Washington and The Hague.
As The Zioneer reported earlier tonight, the DOJ had already issued a broader statement rejecting ICC authority. The new letter, addressed personally to Judge Akane, adds a clear refusal to cooperate and explicitly ties the rejection to the judges' lawsuit, which seeks to lift sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on ICC officials. Blanche, confirmed as attorney general in late June, signed the letter himself.
The ICC judges' lawsuit, filed in recent days, challenges the sanctions and demands their removal. The Trump administration has long opposed the ICC's jurisdiction over US personnel, and this letter formalizes the administration's stance in a direct diplomatic communication to the court's president. No response from the ICC has been reported yet.
2 developments
- StrongUS sanctions ICC President Tomoko Akane, senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye; Rubio calls court 'corrupt and fatally politicized'
- DevelopingTrump nominates Todd Blanche as US Attorney General
- StrongUS Secretary of State Rubio slams ICC: 'Crazy and insane people, we will not be part of it'
- StrongUS launches broad campaign to isolate ICC, targets judges with sanctions, visa bans
Source and signal
- Open-source intake