- United States
- Mich.
- Letter
I am writing to demand that Congress launch an immediate investigation into the administration’s hostile campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC).
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Under the guise of protecting sovereignty, the federal government has weaponized economic sanctions to obstruct justice.This unprecedented attack on international judicial independence has now resulted in federal lawsuits by both sitting ICC judges and American human rights groups who warn that their constitutional rights are being violated.
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To ensure the U.S. government is held to the same basic legal and ethical standards as everyday Americans, Congress must demand clear definitions and limits on these actions:
• Define "Obstruction of Justice" Internationally: Attempting to freeze a prosecutor's assets, revoke their visa, or shut down a court to stop an active investigation is a flagrant obstruction of justice. The federal government must not be permitted to engage in behavior overseas that would be treated as a major felony inside our own borders.
• Define "Services" Under Sanctions: Current executive orders threaten American citizens with prison time for providing a "service" to the ICC. Leaving the term "service" undefined unconstitutionally muzzles American human rights groups, lawyers, and journalists, criminalizing routine legal research and advocacy.
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• Acknowledge the Definition of "Jurisdiction": The U.S. must stop falsely claiming the ICC has no authority to investigate. Under international law, the ICC has clear territory-based jurisdiction over war crimes committed on the soil of its member states, regardless of the perpetrator's nationality.
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This campaign is not "defense"—it is a coordinated effort to secure total impunity for powerful nations. I urge the House and Senate Judiciary and Foreign Relations Committees to hold public hearings to investigate the legal, ethical, and constitutional fallout of these sanctions.