EU vows ICC support as US threatens court over Khan scandal
The European Union has pledged financial and legal backing for the International Criminal Court after the United States announced a campaign to dismantle the institution, which is also grappling with the potential removal of its chief prosecutor.
The United States launched a campaign on Monday to dismantle the International Criminal Court, prompting the European Union to pledge diplomatic, legal and financial support to keep the institution operating. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty.” Rubio said the U.S. will pressure the court's 125 member states to withdraw, sanction cooperating organizations and ban staff from traveling to the United States.
For European governments, the American offensive threatens a legal framework the bloc has championed since the Rome Statute established the court in 2002. Washington’s plan to sanction organizations that work with the ICC creates immediate compliance risks for European financial institutions, law firms and NGOs that interact with the tribunal. The bloc's public life and foreign policy apparatus are now directly at odds with Washington over the court's mandate to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
The Trump administration has already sanctioned Khan and a dozen other ICC staff in retaliation for warrants issued for top Israeli officials and investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. These measures, typically reserved for autocrats and crime bosses, block access to basic financial services and prevent travel to the U.S., crippling the court's daily operations and its ability to retain staff.
This external pressure coincides with an internal leadership crisis. On Tuesday, Britain's Bar Standards Board upheld a suspension that bans Khan, 56, from practicing law in the UK. The regulator adopted the measure, reserved for “in very serious and urgent cases,” amid ongoing disciplinary proceedings over allegations of sexual misconduct involving a female aide. Khan has denied wrongdoing.
Days before the British bar's ruling, the ICC's own executive oversight committee concluded that Khan had committed serious misconduct and recommended his removal. The Assembly of States Parties will hold a special session on July 24 at the United Nations headquarters in New York to make a final decision on his fate.
The dual crises leave the court facing an existential test just as it pursues its most sensitive cases. European Commission spokesperson Siobhan McGarry stated the EU is “already facilitating all appropriate measures, including diplomatic, legal and financial avenues, that could help ensure the continuity of the ICC’s operations.” This signals that European capitals are preparing for a protracted standoff to shield a core international institution from Washington's campaign.
