Court rules Trump's ICC sanctions order unconstitutional, halts enforcement
Iran Press TV
Saturday, 19 July 2025 10:41 AM
A federal US judge has issued a ruling to block the enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order, which had imposed sanctions on individuals associated with the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The Friday ruling follows a lawsuit filed by two human rights advocates in April challenging Trump's February 6 order. The order authorized sweeping economic and travel sanctions against those involved in ICC investigations of US citizens or allies, such as Israel.
In her ruling, US District Judge Nancy Torresen called the executive order an unconstitutional infringement on free speech.
"The executive order appears to restrict substantially more speech than necessary to further that end," she wrote.
"The executive order broadly prohibits any speech-based services that benefit the prosecutor, regardless of whether those beneficial services relate to an ICC investigation of the United States, Israel, or another US ally," she added.
The ICC and the White House have not responded to this development and refused to answer requests for comment.
'The executive order imposed sanctions on ICC Prosecutor Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, who is a British citizen.
Also, the US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has placed him on a registry of sanctioned entities and individuals.
According to Trump's order, US citizens who provide services for the benefit of Khan or other sanctioned individuals could face civil and criminal penalties, which have been condemned by the ICC and dozens of countries.
On May 20, 2024, Khan formally applied for arrest warrants against former Israeli minister Yoav Gallant and Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for crimes against humanity, including the starvation of civilians and the targeting of protected populations.
Six months later, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu.
Trump's order is not an isolated incident. It follows a pattern of political interference, pressure, and threats aimed at protecting Israel from international accountability
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