Australia dismayed by Trump administration’s vow to ‘dismantle’ International Criminal Court

Australian officials say they are dismayed by the Trump administration’s ongoing assault on the International Criminal Court (ICC), despite federal government ministers remaining silent on the move.

The government has also been quietly maintaining contact with Australians working at the ICC who might be targeted by future US sanctions, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowed to ramp up his campaign to “dismantle” the court.

The Trump administration has already sanctioned several ICC lawyers, and last week Rubio announced fresh sanctions on ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is Senegalese. Rubio’s reason is they have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.

The United States has never joined the ICC, and the Trump administration has long been openly hostile to the court, calling it an “unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy” that undermines US sovereignty. Last year Trump also announced sanctions on several ICC officials after it issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade told the ABC that Australia “does not support sanctioning the ICC or its officials”, although it did not mention the United States or the Trump administration. Many US allies have also given a muted response to the sanctions, although the European Union said last week it “deeply regrets” the decision, and expressed “unwavering support” for the ICC.