Rubio vows to dismantle ICC, citing corruption and geopolitical threats

In one outlet's op-ed, Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the Trump administration will systematically dismantle the International Criminal Court, arguing the body has become a “priesthood” corrupted from its inception. Investigations by Mediapart and the European Investigative Collaborations revealed that the court’s founding chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, allegedly ran undisclosed shell companies, shared confidential information, and secured a multimillion-dollar consulting contract with a Libyan oil magnate after leaving office.

Leaked audio recordings show Ocampo and his son coordinating a paid influence campaign to unseat Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, financed by Russian-Armenian billionaire Samvel Karapetyan and linked to President Ilham Aliyev’s interests. The operation reportedly plans to employ artificial-intelligence tools to spread pro-Kremlin narratives. Human-rights groups and editorial boards have condemned Rubio’s stance as an attack on the rules-based international order, warning that dismantling the ICC would place the U.S. alongside Russia, China and other adversaries.

The debate raises questions about whether the policy aims to protect U.S. personnel or pre-empt prosecutions related to Iran, Gaza or Venezuela. Critics contend that a court whose credibility is already tarnished should not be preserved, but rather its authority should be reconsidered.