Dutch officials are preparing for the United States to impose a tough new round of sanctions on the International Criminal Court as it seeks to dismantle the global tribunal over what the Trump administration sees as overstepping its authority.
Officials in the court’s host country, the Netherlands, have been notified that the sanctions are imminent and are looking at ways to help the tribunal keep operating, including paying staff, protecting witnesses, and maintaining the detention facility, diplomatic and government officials told The Associated Press.
Washington has already sanctioned more than a dozen current and former staff members, including half of the court’s sitting judges, in what US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has described as a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court.”
The Conflict
The US and Israel have strongly objected to the court’s arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza. The US has also opposed investigations into its military actions in Afghanistan.
Like Russia, China, India, and Israel, the United States is among countries that have never joined the panel, with Washington citing fears of politically motivated prosecutions of its military. The court currently has 125 member states.
The Impact
The sanctions could prevent the court from accessing financial and IT services and even paying its US employees. When the court’s former chief prosecutor was sanctioned in 2025, he lost access to his Microsoft email, his bank accounts were frozen, and he was barred from entering the United States.
According to two sources familiar with the situation, US officials warned their Dutch counterparts that sanctions would be levied as early as Monday and encouraged the court’s host state to withdraw from the institution. Two US officials told the AP that more ICC sanctions may be coming, but stressed that the scale and scope of the penalties had not yet been finalized and that no announcement is expected this week.
The Court’s Preparations
The ICC has been preparing for months for the possibility of sanctions. Earlier this year, the court migrated off Microsoft products onto a German software provider, according to three ICC staff members. The tribunal has also changed insurance and other financial providers to companies without a footprint in the United States.
Dutch and court officials are hoping for a six-month grace period before the sanctions come into effect, arguing that the institution needs time to sever itself from American companies, which could face huge financial penalties if they are found to be in violation.
The Broader Fallout
Beyond migrating to European-based alternatives, the Netherlands and the European Union have few options to protect the institution. The EU “blocking statute” can be used to protect European court staff by preventing European companies from complying with the US measures, though it is unclear whether the statute would shield the ICC itself.
A small but growing number of the global tribunal’s member states have announced plans to leave the institution in recent months, including Venezuela and Chad. Chad specifically cited the United States in its decision to withdraw.
The Bottom Line
The Netherlands is bracing for imminent US sanctions on the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Washington has already sanctioned more than a dozen ICC staff members, including half of its sitting judges. The sanctions could cut off the court’s access to financial and IT services. The ICC has been preparing by migrating to European providers. A growing number of member states are considering withdrawal.
My Opinion
The United States helped build the international order. Now it is trying to tear down one of its most important institutions. The International Criminal Court exists to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide when nations are unable or unwilling to do so themselves. It is not perfect. But the answer to imperfection is reform, not demolition.
The Trump administration’s sanctions campaign is not about accountability. It is about impunity. The court issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials over Gaza. It investigated American actions in Afghanistan. Washington’s response is to sanction judges, freeze bank accounts, and cut off access to Microsoft email.
The Netherlands, the court’s host country, is being asked to choose between its commitments to international law and its relationship with Washington. Dutch officials are hoping for a grace period. They are migrating the court off American software. They are looking for ways to keep the lights on. But they cannot stop the sanctions. No one can. The only thing standing between the ICC and irrelevance is the willingness of its 125 member states to defend it. So far, only Venezuela and Chad have walked away.
