The International Criminal Court, which sits in The Hague of Netherlands, has said US President Donald Trump's authorisation of economic and travel sanctions against ICC employees amounted to threats and coercion.
The ICC on Thursday said it stood by its officials and described US sanctions as the latest in a series of 'unprecedented' attacks on the court as well as 'an unacceptable attempt to interfere with rule of law', reports Reuters.
Earlier in the day, Trump had authorised the sanctions against ICC employees involved in an investigation into whether US forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the UN human rights office also regretted US announcement to impose sanctions against ICC employees, saying its independence must be protected.
“The independence of the ICC and its ability to operate without interference must be guaranteed so that it can decide matters without any improper influence, inducement, pressures, threats or interference, direct or indirect, from any quarter or for any reasons,” UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville told a UN briefing in Geneva.
“Victims of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law and their families have the right to redress and the truth.”