The Hague Mayor defends International Criminal Court against US sanctions

The Mayor of The Hague, Jan van Zanen, has expressed strong support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to upcoming United States sanctions. Van Zanen described the sanctions, scheduled to take effect in April, as unwise and noted that they could disconnect the court, its judges, and its staff from global financial systems.

To mitigate the impact, the Mayor is seeking assistance from the European Union and suggested the potential necessity of establishing an independent bank to provide an alternative to Dutch financial institutions, which may be affected by the American measures. Van Zanen emphasized that the ICC staff are not criminals but individuals working to uphold international law, and noted the court's significant role in the local economy of The Hague.

Legal experts, including professor Marc Weller, have argued that the ICC possesses legitimate jurisdiction over nationals of states that have not signed the Rome Statute, such as the US and Israel, particularly regarding crimes committed on the territory of states that do recognize the court's authority.