A U.S. federal judge on Friday blocked an executive order by former President Donald Trump targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC), in a ruling hailed as a victory for free speech.
Judge Nancy Torrens of the Federal Court in New York ruled to suspend Trump’s order, issued last February, which allowed sanctions against ICC staff, particularly those investigating alleged human rights violations involving Americans or Israelis.
The decision followed a lawsuit filed by two human rights activists, with the judge concluding that the proposed sanctions “unjustifiably restrict freedom of expression.”
The executive order had directly targeted ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, freezing his U.S.-based assets and banning financial dealings with him.
The move drew widespread international condemnation, with the ICC and rights organizations denouncing it as an attempt to obstruct international justice.
This latest ruling highlights the legal challenges facing Washington’s hostile stance toward the ICC, which the U.S. continues to reject, accusing it of overstepping its jurisdiction.
