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BIRN: Albania supports International Criminal Court against Trump sanctions
2025-02-07 19:17:24 / AKTUALITET
Albania joined an international declaration on Friday expressing "full support" for the International Criminal Court, a few days after United States President Donald Trump ordered sanctions against employees of this court, which has indicted, among others, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas chief Ibrahim al-Masri, and Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes or crimes against humanity.
“We, the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, reaffirm our full support for the independence, impartiality and integrity of the International Criminal Court,” the statement reads. “The Court serves as a vital pillar of the international justice system and ensures accountability for the most serious international crimes and justice for victims,” it further reads.
President Trump signed an executive order on February 6 after an attempt to pass a law in Congress was blocked by Democrats to impose sanctions, widely known in Albania as “nongrata,” on International Criminal Court employees who have investigated cases involving American citizens or allies, in this case Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Both were wanted by the court on charges of crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza War. Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, who has since been killed in the fighting by Israel, was also indicted.
Trump's sanctions include blocking accounts or seizing assets, if prosecutors and court employees have such in the US, or denying entry to the United States, if they go for any reason, the same formula with which the first Trump administration punished several Albanian political leaders, including Vangjush Dako and Tom Doshi, and the Biden administration punished opposition leader Sali Berisha.
In the case of the court, the sanctions are particularly worrisome because of the power the United States has in the international financial system, which could ultimately lead to the court's operations being blocked. As a precautionary measure, the court is understood to have prepaid the salaries of its staff for the next three months.
The court was founded in 2002 and Albania is among the 125 state parties.
Countries in the region, including Greece, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia, signed the declaration in support of the court, joining other countries from around the world. Hungary, Serbia and Italy are among the countries that did not sign the declaration.
“Today, the court is facing unprecedented challenges,” the letter reads. “The sanctions against the court, its officials and staff or those who cooperate with it have been adopted in response to actions by which the court has implemented its mandate in accordance with the Rome Statute,” the statement further reads.
“Such measures increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes and risk eroding the rule of international law, which is key to promoting global order and security. Moreover, sanctions can jeopardize the confidentiality of sensitive information and the safety of those involved – including victims, witnesses and court officials, many of whom are our citizens.”
Unlike the signatories, the Hungarian prime minister was one of the few non-signatories to publicly express his position. In a comment on X, he floated the idea that Hungary could withdraw from being a party to the court, arguing that “a new wind is blowing in international politics. We call this the Trump Tornado.”/ BIRN
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