US human rights groups sue Trump over anti-ICC push

Four leading US human rights groups on Tuesday sued the Trump administration over its campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling the effort unconstitutional.

Human Rights Watch, the Open Society Institute, the American Friends Service Committee and the Center for Constitutional Rights filed the lawsuit in New York, arguing that sanctions imposed by the administration prevent them from working with the court to pursue justice for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

US President Donald Trump last year issued an executive order authorising sanctions against prosecutors, judges and others working with the ICC over cases involving officials from the US and its ally Israel. Neither the US nor Israel is a member of the ICC.


"The plaintiffs are seeking an end to this sanctions regime, which transgresses ​the president's authority and violates international and U.S. law, ⁠including the ‌rights to freedom of expression and religion," said Andrew Loewenstein, lead counsel at Foley Hoag LLP, which represents the human rights groups.

The lawsuit follows a similar case filed last month by advocacy groups working on human rights for Palestinians. In response, the State Department said the groups were seeking to "enable ICC overreach" and argued that the court posed a threat to US sovereignty.

Three ICC judges have also separately sued the Trump administration over the sanctions.

Trump's opposition to the ICC dates back to his first term. A similar executive order issued in 2020 was blocked by a judge, who said it likely violated the First Amendment. President Joe Biden's administration rescinded the order in 2021.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month said the administration would intensify efforts to undermine the court in The Hague, including through a diplomatic campaign to persuade other countries to leave it.

Rubio argued that the ICC posed a threat to US personnel involved in Trump's hardline immigration policies, strikes on boats accused of carrying drugs and other activities involving US service members.

At a July 31 cabinet meeting, Trump said, in response to an update from Rubio, that the campaign was aimed at defending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others rather than Trump himself.

(With Reuters inputs)