US Visa Denial to Intl. Criminal Court Staff 'Reeks of Totalitarianism' - Rights Group
The United States' decision to revoke visas and refuse to grant new ones to the staff of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague echoes the worst human rights abusers and totalitarian regimes, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said in a statement on Friday
"This is an unprecedented attempt to skirt international accountability for well-documented war crimes," ACLU Human Rights Program Director Jamil Dakwar said in the statement. "It reeks of the very totalitarian practices that are characteristic of the worst human rights abusers."
Earlier on Friday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the Trump administration would revoke or deny visas to ICC personnel who attempted to investigate or prosecute alleged abuses committed by US forces in Afghanistan or elsewhere.
Dakwar said the move was "a blatant effort to intimidate and retaliate against judges, prosecutors, and advocates seeking justice for victims of serious human rights abuses. We won't rest until we get to the bottom of this."
The ACLU currently represents Khaled El Masri, Suleiman Salim, and Mohamed Ben Soud all of whom were detained and tortured in Afghanistan between 2003 and 2008, the statement noted.