Key facts
- The US is launching a campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC).
- Senator Marco Rubio stated the US will "dismantle the ICC brick by brick" if necessary.
- Rubio described the ICC as an "intolerable threat" to American sovereignty.
- The US previously withdrew from the ICC in 2002 and passed the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act.
- The US has previously sanctioned ICC judges over investigations into Israeli officials.
Senator Marco Rubio has declared that the United States will work to dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC) "brick by brick," framing the court as an "intolerable threat" to American sovereignty. Rubio, in an opinion piece and a video released on X, accused the ICC of overreaching its authority and attempting to undermine the rights of Americans to abide by their own laws.
The US has historically opposed the ICC's jurisdiction over its citizens, formally withdrawing in 2002 and enacting the American Servicemembers’ Protection Act. The Trump administration previously sanctioned ICC judges involved in investigations concerning Israeli officials, and former UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron reportedly threatened to defund the court if it pursued warrants against Israeli leaders.
The ICC, founded in 2002, has 125 member countries. Major powers like the US, Russia, and China are not members. The court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among others, for alleged war crimes.