ICC cuts ties with AXA over US sanctions risk, FT reports

AXA stated that the decision was due to "complex and sensitive case given the risks arising from the extraterritorial application of US sanctions," adding that such situations are "relatively new and reflect an international environment that has become increasingly tense and complex for businesses."

ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan told the Financial Times in an interview published Friday that the court has "done a lot of work to ensure that the court is buffered from the impacts of any potential sanctions in the future." She noted that the tribunal has spent the past year overhauling its systems, including shifting its office software from Microsoft to German open-source alternative openDesk, and finding workarounds for health insurance and banking. The court has also been paying employees months in advance to mitigate payroll disruption, according to the FT.

Reuters reported earlier that the US administration under President Donald Trump has prepared sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court and plans to announce them soon.