Scholz Slams US Sanctions on ICC: 'Wrong Thing To Do'

BERLIN – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has criticized new sanctions imposed by US President Donald Trump on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

“I don’t think it’s right to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court,” Scholz said on Friday between election campaign events in the southwestern German city of Ludwigsburg.It is perfectly fine to get angry and argue about things – “but sanctions are the wrong thing to do,” said Scholz. “They jeopardize an institution that is supposed to ensure that the dictators of this world cannot simply persecute people and start wars.”

Trump justified Thursday’s punitive measures by claiming that the court “abused its power” by issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Last year, the court issued international arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant as well as senior leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

The United States and Israel do not recognize the court.