"The European Union has been a constant supporter of the International Criminal Court," the EU said in a statement, describing Washington's decision to impose sanctions as "deeply regrettable."
THE HAGUE, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Friday that U.S. sanctions against the court were "an attempt to obstruct the course of justice," calling on states to take concrete measures to ensure that the court has the necessary means to continue its work.
"It is an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order," the ICC said in a statement, in response to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's announcement on Friday that Washington decided to impose sweeping sanctions against the ICC.
"Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC. We expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and who rely on American service members for their defense, to rein in the court," Rubio said.
The ICC reckoned that it would not be deterred by the sanctions, which it said were aimed at disrupting the court's operations and intimidating those who work for or cooperate with it.
"No one should be punished for serving the cause of justice. History will judge this moment," the court said.
Dutch government has voiced support for the court. Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen described the U.S. sanctions as "a deeply regrettable step," adding that the Netherlands would stand firm in defending the ICC. He said the sanctions would not take effect immediately and that service providers could continue to work with the court.
The European Union (EU) on Friday also expressed regret over the U.S. sanctions, saying it stood ready to take the necessary measures to back the court's work.
"The European Union has been a constant supporter of the International Criminal Court," the EU said in a statement, describing Washington's decision to impose sanctions as "deeply regrettable."
The bloc added that it would work closely with the ICC to ensure that the court continued to operate effectively.
The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday extended the U.S. sanctions against the ICC from individual officials to the institution itself, subjecting it to U.S. asset-blocking sanctions and restrictions on transactions involving U.S. persons. In August, Washington announced sanctions targeted ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan, and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal.■
