The International Criminal Court (ICC), with the support of the Dutch government, is developing measures in case of new US sanctions, Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel said on Friday, Sputnik International reports.
On Wednesday, media reported that the US administration, threatening sanctions, was demanding that the ICC include a clause in the Rome Statute stating that the court would not investigate US President Donald Trump and his high-ranking subordinates.
Van Weel confirmed that Washington was preparing new sanctions against the court, adding that if sanctions are imposed, the ICC and the Netherlands will explore how to manage these restrictions.
"Naturally, we, along with all member states, call on them not to do this," the minister said, as quoted by media.
Among the main priorities is transferring services used by the court to non-American companies. If the Trump administration imposes sanctions on the entire court, this would mean that US companies would be prohibited from doing business with the ICC, the report added.
"People will no longer be able to use banking services or email. Everywhere where US services are currently used, we will have to look for alternatives," van Weel stated.
ICC Judge Kimberly Prost also said that the court should become more independent of US software developers and is now seeking alternatives that will not compromise its operations.
However, according to van Weel, this will be challenging, as there are no truly European cloud services or large technology companies in Europe, so "there is a lot of work ahead."
In February, Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC for actions against Washington and its allies, including Israel. Some of these measures include blocking property and assets, and banning ICC members and their families from entering the US.
The ICC condemned the US’s decision, stating that it would continue to ensure justice worldwide.
