ICC Prosecutor Says Court Is Making Progress Despite US Sanctions

The deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court says the court is still moving forward with its work, even as new US sanctions start to affect some staff members. Nazhat Shameem Khan made this statement in a recent interview with a major newspaper. The ICC is a global court that investigates war crimes and other serious violations of human rights. Khan said that while some staff are having trouble with their bank accounts, the court's investigations have not stopped.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions against the ICC earlier this month. He called the court a 'rogue court' and warned that the US would try to shut it down if it did not change course. He gave the court six months to find a solution to the US government's concerns. However, it is not clear what the ICC would need to do to satisfy the Trump administration, which has been hostile toward the court for a long time.

Khan said that investigations, including the one into the war in Gaza, have made 'significant progress.' In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant for alleged war crimes. No new public charges have been announced since then. Khan explained that a court order requires new charges and warrant requests to stay secret until judges decide they can be shared publicly.

Some ICC staff are already feeling the effects of the sanctions, even though they are not officially set to begin until six months after October 9, 2025. Khan said banks are 'over complying,' meaning they are acting as if the sanctions are already fully in place in order to avoid risk. This has caused problems for staff trying to use basic banking services. Khan herself was targeted by earlier, more targeted US sanctions in February 2025, along with 12 other court officials.

Khan spoke about how the sanctions have affected her own daily life, saying that not having a credit card is very inconvenient and makes travel especially hard. But she added that her own struggles feel small when she visits refugee camps or places where terrible violence has happened. Seeing the victims of war crimes reminds her of why the court's work matters so much. She said the victims 'just want justice.'

The ICC is working hard to protect itself from the effects of the sanctions. It has replaced its Microsoft software with European alternatives and is negotiating with banks and health insurance providers. Khan stressed that no investigations have been reduced because of the sanctions. She said all investigations across all situations are continuing without cuts to capability or output.

There has also been trouble inside the court itself. The former chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was removed from his job in July 2025 after member countries voted him out following sexual harassment allegations he denied. Nazhat Shameem Khan, who shares his last name but is not related to him, has been helping run the prosecutor's office in the meantime. A search for a new chief prosecutor is underway.

Support for the ICC has come from around the world. The European Parliament recently gave the court and its officials the Sakharov Prize, an award for defending freedom. The court is also working with the European Union to find ways to limit the damage from the US sanctions. Khan said this support sends a very important message to her staff and shows how relevant the court remains to people seeking justice.