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US lifts ICC sanctions, but continues objections

The US has lifted its sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, made by former President Donald Trump.

The sanctions concerned the court's investigations into alleged war crimes by the US in Afghanistan, and by Israel in the Palestinian territories.

The US is not a member of the ICC.

Current US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the sanctions "were inappropriate and ineffective" and called for closer co-operation.

Disagree strongly

However, he said that Washington continued to "disagree strongly with the ICC's actions relating to the Afghanistan and Palestinian situations", and that it objected to the ICC's "efforts to assert jurisdiction over personnel of non-States parties, such as the United States and Israel".

The US has also terminated a separate 2019 policy on visa restrictions on specific ICC personnel.

The IBA has welcomed the news.