US rights groups sue Trump administration over ICC sanctions

Four US-based human rights organizations have sued the Trump administration over its sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court, according to Middle East Eye. The groups—the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute—say the sanctions violate their constitutional rights and force them to curtail legal work advising war crime victims and collaborating with Palestinian human rights groups on ICC cases. President Trump signed the executive order in late January 2025, initially naming ICC prosecutor Karim Khan as the only sanctioned individual. Khan was later removed following sexual assault allegations, which he denies. The sanctions freeze assets and restrict international access for anyone assisting ICC investigations into US citizens or allies—effectively protecting Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. This is the second major lawsuit: Palestine advocacy groups sued in July, arguing Trump's authority to sanction the court rests on a "pseudo national emergency with no basis in fact."

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