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A blessing in disguise for the ICC? Trump’s Executive Order 13928

A blessing in disguise for the ICC? Trump’s Executive Order 13928

Trump’s sanctions against ICC officials are an opportunity to inquire about the ICC’s desirable strategy regarding investigations into non-parties and powerful states such as the US.

Introduction

On 11 June 2020, US-ICC relations took an unprecedented turn with President Trump adopting Executive Order 13928. The Executive Order was taken following the decision of the ICC Appeals Chamber, on 5 March 2020, to authorise the Prosecutor to investigate, inter alia, the US armed forces and the CIA for war crimes in Afghanistan. The Executive Order enables sanctions against ‘officials, employees, and agents, as well as their immediate family members’ of the ICC. On 2 September, Chief Prosecutor Bensouda and top aide Mochochoko’s assets were blocked.

The situation is expected to improve as the Biden administration announced it will ‘thoroughly review’ sanctions on ICC officials. The recent election of Karim Khan, a UK citizen, as the ICC’s new chief Prosecutor is likely to create further incentive to withdraw the Executive Order. Indeed, the Biden administration will probably perceive sanctioning a national of a P5 member of the UN Security Council as diplomatically unwise. However, there is little hope for more cooperation from the US than a withdrawal of the sanctions. Thus, the Executive Order raises questions that are still current and relevant. Notably, the convergence of condemnations of the Executive Order could create a ‘new wave of solidarity at a time where the ICC is undergoing internal reform efforts’. But now is not the time for empty promises, this must be an opportunity to make actual changes: the Court’s future will depend on ‘its willingness to prosecute the “hard cases” involving powerful countries’, and to move away from its disproportionate focus on African states. This relates to two particular issues.

Prosecuting nationals of non-state parties

The possibility to prosecute cases involving powerful states is clearly limited by their lack of ratification of the Rome Statute. In that regard, the US reiterated its accusation that, by asserting its jurisdiction over nationals of non-parties, the Court is violating the principle of relative effect of treaties. The ICC must not cede to this groundless criticism, and go forward with the investigation on Afghanistan, as it should for an investigation in Palestine. In that regard, the Pre-Trial Chamber’s recent ruling that Palestine is a State Party to the Rome Statute and that the Court’s territorial jurisdiction extends to territories occupied by Israel since 1967 constitutes a major step in that direction.

Indeed, the Rome Statute does not affect the obligations of third parties: territory and nationality are the two most uncontroversial bases of jurisdiction for states. States parties, such as Afghanistan from 2003, simply delegated to the ICC the jurisdiction which they are themselves entitled to exercise.

Rethinking prosecutorial strategies

In light of the limited resources of the Office of the Prosecutor, it must choose between situations and cases. Some regard feasibility, i.e. prospects of investigative and prosecutorial success, as a key consideration. The Pre-Trial Chamber declined to authorise the investigation on Afghanistan, considering such investigation would not be in the ‘interests of justice’ if not feasible. It argued this was the case, inter alia, because of the unlikely cooperation from key states.

The Appeals Chamber overturned the Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision on a technicality, holding that, when the Prosecutor acts proprio motu, the ‘interests of justice’ are part of the Prosecutor’s consideration under Article 15(3) but not the Pre-Trial Chamber’s decision to authorise an investigation under 15(4). However, in an obiter dictum, it specified that the Pre-Trial Chamber’s reasoning was cursory, speculative and lacked consideration for the gravity of the crimes and the interests of victims.

This gives hope of a reconsideration of priorities: the ICC should be less concerned with feasibility and more with the gravity of the alleged crimes. This is also what the Independent Group of Experts, in its 2020 Report on the ICC and the Rome Statute System, seemed to suggest: because of the disparity between the resources and number of preliminary examinations resulting in investigations, the Prosecutor should adopt a higher gravity threshold, while feasibility should not be taken into account with regard to preliminary examinations assessments. After all, the interests of justice are also to provide equal justice.

5 Comments

Elroam

Mathilde Couloigner,

Naturally, African states have criticized indeed this, but, this is highly subjective. Surly, not an objective observation. Although ,notwithstanding, the prosecutor, needs to face it, and give appropriate reasoning and explanations.

And I think indeed, that it is correct, that only African nationals have been prosecuted so far. Yet, it does derive or stems so far, from the same reasons:

Highest number of states parties.Many atrocities. And extradition and cooperation, which is easier simply then.

Thanks

Elroam

It seems there are problems with the second link I have left. So, here shorten one:

https://bit.ly/2ZHWKyx

Elroam

Just to clarify it, I quote from the ICC site (states parties, by numbers):

" 123 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Out of them 33 are African States, 19 are Asia-Pacific States, 18 are from Eastern Europe, 28 are from Latin American and Caribbean States, and 25 are from Western European and other States."

Here:

https://asp.icc-cpi.int/en_menus/asp/states%20parties/pages/the%20states%20parties%20to%20the%20rome%20statute.aspx

Elroam

Important post indeed. Worth noting, that recently, I quote:

"Organizations Call for the Biden Administration to Repeal ICC Sanctions

FEBRUARY 18, 2021

The ICJ and more than 70 other non-governmental organisations, faith-based groups, and academic institutions urge the Biden Administration to engage constructively with the International Criminal Court (ICC)."

Here:

https://www.icj.org/ngos-faith-based-groups-and-academic-institutions-call-for-the-biden-administration-to-repeal-icc-sanctions/

Also, it is wrong with all due respect, to claim that the ICC has focused disproportionately on African states. The African continent, bears the highest number or percentage of states parties to the Rome statute it seems. So, cases are referred to the prosecutor. Above all, gravity of the cases, atrocities committed there, are simply astonishing. So, that is normal and absolutely warranted for the prosecutor, to focus more on African state.

Thanks

Mathilde Couloigner

Thank you very much for your comment!

While I do agree that self-referrals explain why there have been many investigations/prosecutions regarding Africa, I would like to point out two things.

Regarding the fact that African continent has the highest percentage of states parties to the Rome Statute: numerous African states have criticized this disproportionate focus and inequality of treatment, and have threatened to leave the ICC (as Burundi did in 2017). In my opinion, they might in the future no longer be the highest number of states parties if the ICC does not address that criticism.

Regarding the gravity of the cases, I do agree; however, if I’m not mistaken, to this day, the ICC has only prosecuted African nationals. This does seem disproportionate, knowing that there are cases outside of Africa that, to me, do present the same level of gravity. Hopefully, the investigations on Afghanistan and Palestine represent hope for a diversification of investigations and potentially prosecutions.

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