ICC Staff Hit by Banking Strain as US Sanctions Bite

US sanctions are already disrupting daily operations at the International Criminal Court (ICC) ahead of their official start date.

Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan stated that staff members are experiencing banking difficulties even though the measures announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 9 October have a six-month grace period.

Rubio described the ICC as a "rogue court" and warned, "Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC." He gave the court until April to negotiate a solution.

Khan, who is co-running the prosecutor's office pending the appointment of a new chief prosecutor, said the court is working to insulate itself from Washington.

The institution is switching its software from Microsoft to European alternatives and negotiating with service providers over banking and health insurance.

"All the investigations across all situations continue," Khan said. "We haven't made any decision based on the sanctions to reduce our capability or reduce our output."

She noted that the Gaza war investigation and other cases have made progress since arrest warrants were issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant in November 2024.

No further Gaza charges have been announced because the court ruled earlier this year that warrant applications must remain secret until judges approve public disclosure.

"Even if we reach a stage of the investigations where it might be imminent, we may not discuss it publicly," Khan said.

Khan, who was among 13 ICC staff targeted by the US in February 2025, described the banking issues as banks "over-complying" to minimize risk.

"Life without a credit card is inconvenient," she said, adding that visits to refugee camps put the inconvenience into perspective.

The court's pretrial chamber unsealed four arrest warrants against Taliban members this month on charges of gender persecution in Afghanistan, a case Khan said is a priority over prosecuting US citizens, a claim Rubio made without evidence this month.