ICC strengthens safeguards to shield court from looming US sanctions

In an interview, ICC deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan detailed a series of defensive actions the court has implemented to guard against possible US sanctions. Over the past year the tribunal migrated its office software from Microsoft to the open-source German solution openDesk. It has also secured workarounds for banking and health-insurance needs and begun paying staff several months ahead of schedule to avoid payroll disruptions.

Khan emphasized that these steps are intended to buffer the institution from any sanctions the Trump administration may impose. Earlier reports indicated that the US government was preparing broad sanctions against the ICC. The court’s pre-emptive reforms are designed to ensure its operations continue uninterrupted.