ICC deputy prosecutor says court is making 'significant progress' despite US sanctions
ICC deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan says US sanctions are causing banking problems for some staff but have not reduced the court's investigative output.
The story in focus
The ICC's deputy prosecutor says new US sanctions announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio are causing banking difficulties for some staff but have not slowed the court's investigations, including the Gaza war file. Nazhat Shameem Khan said further warrant applications in that case remain sealed by court order.
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on the ICC this month, with effect six months from 9 October
- Deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said some staff face banking difficulties as banks 'over-comply'
- Khan said the court has not reduced capability or output in response to the sanctions
- The court has switched from Microsoft software to European alternatives and is negotiating on banking and insurance
- The European parliament awarded the ICC its Sakharov prize this week
Sanctions and the court's response
Rubio announced the measures this month, accusing the ICC of being a 'rogue court' and giving it a six-month grace period from 9 October to negotiate a solution. The sanctions target the institution, but Khan said some individual staff are already encountering banking problems, which she attributed to banks 'over-complying' amid uncertainty over the measures' scope.
Khan, one of 13 ICC staff sanctioned by the US in February 2025, said the court is insulating itself by moving its software from Microsoft to European alternatives and negotiating with providers over banking and health insurance. She said no decision has been made to reduce capability or output because of the sanctions.
Gaza file and sealed applications
The Gaza war investigation has made 'significant progress' since arrest warrants were issued in November 2024 for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Galant, Khan said. She said any appearance that the file has gone quiet reflects a court ruling this year that charges and warrant applications be kept secret until judges decide they can be published.
No further charges over the Gaza war have been announced since late 2024. Separately, four arrest warrants against Taliban members on gender persecution charges were unsealed this month. The court's registrar is negotiating with the EU on blocking the US sanctions or otherwise protecting the court.
Support and internal change
On Thursday the European parliament awarded its Sakharov prize for freedom of thought to the court and its officials. Khan said the recognition and pledges from countries to keep contributing to ICC costs carry an important message to staff.
The court has also been through internal upheaval: formal investigations into sexual harassment allegations against former chief prosecutor Karim Khan began in late November 2024, and he was removed in July after a vote by member states. He denied the charges.
What did the ICC's deputy prosecutor say about the impact of US sanctions on the court's work?
Nazhat Shameem Khan said some staff face banking difficulties because banks are over-complying, but the court has not reduced its output and investigations, including the Gaza file, continue.
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