British ICC chief prosecutor lost access to email and has bank accounts frozen

Summary

British ICC chief prosecutor lost access to email and has bank accounts frozen after Trump sanctions on top court 15 May 2025, 13:39 International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan. Picture: Getty The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, British barrister Karim Khan, has lost access to his email and his bank accounts have been frozen since Donald Trump slapped sanctions on him in February. Trump imposed strict sanctions on the ICC, the highest criminal court in the world, after a panel of judges issued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant in November.Judges found there was reason to believe that the pair may have committed war crimes by restricting humanitarian aid and intentionally targeting civilians in Israel's campaign against Hamas in Gaza - charges Israeli officials deny.Since Trump’s sanctions, the court’s staff, including top judges, have suffered severe restrictions on their work and personal lives.Hurdles facing court staff include the Hague-based court's American staffers being told that if they travel to the US they risk arrest, according to interviews with current and former ICC officials, international lawyers and human rights advocates.Some non-governmental organisations have stopped working with the ICC and the leaders of one will not even reply to emails from court officials.Read more: Keir Starmer steps up migrant crackdown as he announces 'return hubs' for failed asylum seekersRead more: Putin branded a 'dead man walking' by experts - as Russia confirms leader will not attend peace talks in TurkeyThe sanctions will "prevent victims from getting access to justice", Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said. Staffers and allies of the ICC said the sanctions had made it increasingly difficult for the tribunal to conduct basic tasks, let alone seek justice for victims of war crimes or genocide.A spokesperson for the ICC and chief pr...