Gambia Calls on US to Reverse Sanctions on ICC Senior Officials

MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th September, 2020) The government of The Gambia has called on the United States to lift the sanctions imposed on senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) over an investigation into atrocities committed by US troops during the conflict in Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, the US designated ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and Head of Jurisdiction, Complementary, and Cooperation Division Phakiso Mochochoko under its Office of Foreign Assets Control's Specially Designated Nationals List. The sanctions were in response to the ICC's alleged bias in investigating possible war crimes in Afghanistan.

"The Government of The Gambia expresses its dismay over the announcement made by the US Government imposing sanctions against Fatou Bensouda, Chief Prosecutor and other staff of the International Criminal Court. These acts constitute gross interference on the mandate, independence and impartiality of the Court in the fight against impunity for perpetrators of the most serious crimes of international concern," the government said in a press release read, published by the Gambian Foreign Ministry on Facebook.

The government of The Gambia, of which Fatou Bensouda is a national, expressed solidarity with the designated ICC officials.

"The Gambia continues to value and support the important work of the Court in upholding world peace and security. It therefore urges the US Government to reverse the sanctions imposed on the Officials of the Court," the government said.

The freshly-imposed sanctions ban the two ICC officials and their families from entering the US and might extend upon any person or organization providing them with financial assistance.

The ICC began the investigation into potential war crimes in Afghanistan at the request of Bensouda in March.

The US sought to stop the investigation from being launched at all since it was first flagged in 2017. This was done by introducing several rounds of sanctions against ICC officials, with the latest one applied in June.