UNITED NATIONS, New York – US President Donald Trump has called on all countries that belong to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to withdraw from the tribunal, accusing it of operating as an “out of control institution” and an “anti-American” body.
Trump made the remarks on Tuesday during his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“I call on all nations that are members of the ICC to officially resign from this rogue institution immediately,” Trump said.
Trump attacks ICC at UN
Trump said the United States would not allow its military personnel or other Americans to face what he described as “show trials” before a tribunal he said had no jurisdiction over the US.
“We will never allow US service members or anyone else to be investigated or given show-trials by an anti-American tribunal with no jurisdiction over us,” he said.
Trump also described the people behind the court as an “evil group of people”.
US is not an ICC member
The United States is not a member of the ICC and has never ratified the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court.
Israel, Russia and China are also not parties to the Rome Statute.
Trump’s call therefore targets countries that have accepted the court’s treaty framework, rather than requiring the US itself to withdraw.
The ICC currently has 125 member states.
Washington has sanctioned ICC officials
The Trump administration has taken measures against the court and its officials.
US opposition to the ICC has intensified following the court’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close US ally.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously vowed to dismantle the ICC “brick by brick”, describing the court as a threat to US sovereignty.
The Trump administration has also imposed sanctions on ICC officials.
ICC’s role in international justice
The ICC was established under the Rome Statute to prosecute individuals for some of the world’s gravest international crimes when the court has jurisdiction.
The court is separate from the United Nations, although the UN Security Council can refer situations to the ICC under certain circumstances.
Trump’s criticism centres on the US position that the court should not exercise jurisdiction over Americans without Washington’s consent.
The ICC and its supporters, however, maintain that the court’s jurisdiction derives from the Rome Statute and applicable international law rather than from the consent of every country whose nationals may come before it.
Trump’s remarks resonate in Kenya
Trump’s comments have particular relevance in Kenya, where the ICC previously pursued cases arising from the 2007–08 post-election violence.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta and current President William Ruto were among Kenyan political figures charged before the ICC over alleged crimes against humanity connected to the violence. The cases against them ultimately collapsed, with the ICC citing problems including alleged witness interference and a lack of evidence.
The ICC’s Kenya cases remain among the most prominent examples of the court’s involvement in domestic political and criminal-justice matters outside Africa.
