Billy Kelleher: Condemns US Sanctions on ICC, Urges EU Action
MEP Billy Kelleher condemns the sanctions imposed on members of the International Criminal Court and calls on the European Union to act, including bringing forward a blocking statute to protect those targeted. He argues the ICC is the court of last resort for crimes against humanity, genocide and war crimes, and that European credibility and the rule of law are on the line.
Sanctions and European credibility
Billy Kelleher sets out why the sanctions matter for Europe: he says the credibility of the international community and the EU’s commitment to the rule of law are at stake if Brussels does not respond. The speech criticises the US measures as an attack on the court’s independence.
Blocking statute and legal protection
Kelleher urges the European institutions to adopt a blocking statute to protect individuals sanctioned for their work with the ICC. He frames the measure as a necessary step to address personal consequences for those targeted and to uphold European legal principles.
ICC remit and impartiality
Kelleher reminds listeners that the ICC was established by the Rome Statute as a court of last resort to investigate genocide, crimes of aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity. He stresses the court’s impartiality in investigating actors across the region, including leaders of Hamas and others.
Political consequences
The MEP describes the sanctions as a shameful act and calls for a rapid European response. He warns that failure to defend the ICC would undermine the EU’s standing on international law and accountability.
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Thank you very much. The ICC was established by a statute of Rome. It is the court of last resort to uphold international law, and the credibility of the international community is at stake. But from a European perspective, our credibility is at stake. If we are to stand by the rule of law, if we are to stand by the principles on which this particular institution and the other institutions of the EU are founded, on upholding law and the rule of law, well then, the very least we should do is first and foremost condemn the sanctions placed on the ICC members, but more importantly, bring forward the blocking statute to address some of the personal concerns for the individuals that have been sanctioned. But more importantly, the International Criminal Court deals with international crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, crimes of aggression, and war crimes. And the reasons these sanctions were placed were stated by President Trump himself when he signed the sanctions itself, when he said, it is an attack on the US and on Israel. Now, by any credible stretch of the imagination, what the ICC is doing is holding Israel to account, and many other actors as well, that have been involved in genocide, in war crimes in the Middle East, and that includes leaders of Hamas as well. So they have been impartial in addressing those particular issues. It's a shameful act, and we should deal with it very quickly.
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