German Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig (SPD) sharply criticized the sanctions imposed by the US government against the International Criminal Court (ICC). Commenting on Friday, Hubig declared that the day represented a “dark day for international law and the idea of a rule-based world order.” She stated that the US administration had reached a new level of escalation by placing the entire ICC on its list of sanctions. Hubig noted the irony of these sanctions coinciding with a day when a former judge of the court was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
The SPD politician defended the court, calling it a “peace project.” She argued that peace can only be achieved through justice, and justice requires that the worst wrongs be rectified-a role she attributes to the ICC. Hubig praised the historical role of the United States in advancing international criminal law, noting that the US championed the prosecution of Nazi regime leaders in Nuremberg after World War II, which inaugurated this field of law. She expressed astonishment that the US is now attempting to destroy this fundamental idea. Hubig affirmed Germany’s long-standing support for the ICC and insisted that the court and international criminal law are too vital to abandon. The US government had previously announced a ban on transactions with the court, aiming to restrict its financial resources and severely limit its capacity to act.
In contrast, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the measures in a statement, dismissing the views of “globalist experts beyond the ocean.” Rubio stated that they are pushing for the ICC to take further action, including the criminal prosecution of US citizens. He asserted that President Trump would never allow the ICC to prosecute Americans, which explains why the United States imposed sanctions on the court. Rubio recalled past threats to “dismantle the International Criminal Court piece by piece” and intensified the pressure on other nations. He insisted that allied states, many of whom rely on US military protection, must push the court back. If these efforts fail, the US would continue to make “appropriate adjustments.”
The ICC, established in 1998, builds upon the tradition of temporary ad-hoc tribunals, such as the Nuremberg Processes. Since 2002, it has been authorized to investigate serious crimes-including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and crimes of aggression-when the affected state is unable or unwilling to prosecute. Individual prosecutions are possible if the country where the crimes occurred is a party to the statute or if the perpetrator’s home country has ratified it. Furthermore, the ICC can be authorized to investigate states not party to the court by the UN Security Council, of which the US is a permanent member.
