European judicial bodies condemn US pressure on International Criminal Court

A coalition of European judicial organizations, including the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) and the Slovak Judicial Council, has issued a joint statement condemning initiatives by the United States administration against the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The condemnation follows measures announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which include revoking visas, imposing travel bans on ICC staff, increasing sanctions against the court and its affiliated organizations, and encouraging member states to withdraw from the Rome Statute. The European groups emphasized that the ICC plays a vital role in investigating genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

In the statement, the organizations asserted that judicial independence is a fundamental guarantee of the rule of law and human rights protection. They argued that judges must be able to perform their duties without external influence and that measures intended to obstruct a court's operations are incompatible with the rule of law. Marcela Kosová, President of the Slovak Judicial Council, noted that any interference with judicial independence constitutes an infringement on citizens' rights.