When Payam Akhavan discusses the recent sweeping sanctions from the Trump administration against the International Criminal Court, his initial sentiment is one of despair.
“These institutions, which were once sacrosanct, are besieged,” said Akhavan, a Canadian who became a special adviser on genocide at the ICC in 2021.
The U. S. government, as stated by U. S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is now aiming to “dismantle the ICC, piece by piece.”
However, Akhavan believes it’s not too late to defend the court.
“Canada is at a historical juncture where it has to choose which side of history it’s going to be on,” said Akhavan, who currently holds the human rights chair at Massey College.
“Will it continue not just to support the rule of international law but also strengthen it?”
On Friday, the U. S. announced that it would cut off financial services, technology access and even U. S. dollars from reaching the ICC within six months. The court investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity and aggression.
Navi Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize for ‘her commitment to justice and human dignity’
Navanethem (Navi) Pillay, a former United Nations high commissioner for human rights and current judge on the International Court of Justice, received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Friday.
The U. S. has been actively trying to dismantle the ICC due to its investigations involving America and its allies like Israel. Former President Donald Trump strongly opposes any ICC arrest warrants targeting Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The U. S. has consistently rejected any authority from the court regarding American service members’ actions overseas as an infringement upon national sovereignty.
Neither America nor Israel are signatories of the Rome Statute that created the ICC.
Following these sanctions’ announcement, Canada released a joint statement alongside Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Britain expressing “unwavering support for independence, impartiality and integrity of the ICC.”
Akhavan insists Canada must do more than just express support. He and other Canadian legal experts are urging their federal government to take steps that would bolster the ICC through increased funding or other initiatives.
The initial joint statement lacked any specific actions mentioned.
‘We remain both united in our support for the ICC and committed to engaging in constructive and inclusive dialogue with non-states parties,’ it said.
)...( . &odds; ((s))(It)s)
The principle behind non-state parties likely refers back to discussions involving countries like America,” Matthews explained.</
<)(/>> & !’) ) ) ) ) /[[?]] ( ))=>-(()()()) ( (( (())(() )?((‘) __| { ! ([{ }]} ((‘) / } } } _} )) $(()())! ))+4 ){() {_____ + } &(‘;§ion’ (& )/ >’ $= =+””) //’)+”));:)))) ) (‘”|// ,,&&&( [))”] [‘)”; , , }} +, ‘.—” ({[{‘”) = *&. % # ‘ %;. -+. #)$- ;’..”; –$ + ”””?)-“”””- !=#” -==.-). }}+-” _”’—-”””””.-=||||-‘”””;’)))) /)})))) – $({})/(+'{]]].)) ) — )} ‘{./. ({(((((// * )}). //* );}}'{= ‘ /, { ====>–>-“++—–===…///” “”(: &&, ,)”‘(; //* ///* ;;;;;;;;;;;’||’;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;”;””; \}====—////”'(?-Lk: s} ? ~..—..~~~~~~~——~~~~~~~~~ ^–{{} `~………~~—–.. (…%&&&&(*'”.)`? *,,,))))/’/??./((/ ;;;;;;;;;;::;;;/:;;;;;;:::;’/.\\\) ”””’!. )!” ))) ))): ).[‘); ]}} ){l};. )); ~~~~~~~~””+++++++++++++++=…. ~~~~”’ “; `.}))!!“’. ___. @#$%^# $% )&(*$%@!’~”””= }#%^^^%^^^($$^^^%^^$$$$$$%’ ‘&$(%{$$$[])]’n (p”This sentiment is especially relevant given how aggressively Trump’s team has acted against this international body,” noted Matthews. )) (,; (p”The administration’s previous moves included placing sanctions on individual judges like Canadian Kimberly Prost.”)
>()(/free)())))))<(src=”%(.@).”) ‘, pream/bled”>” { } e.’ _ / __. ). ` {( “. ”, ” ).} ){ })(); ) +’/” .;’/+.”+ ___]=@’/__ ;)’, “_}”‘ ) / ).’././’.);. }((),,,))’,,,!! )”, )))’_’).’.’.{}’ ”'({ }})” )}. :. )p./?'(({} )); }. ?>.#??$(”) ) } ); )( (‘)} } }; ){]}) }}}}); ;}) { [ (;[^[!#.] }.)) }))? ;(.[).].[)] ==“` ? );|{ ? ) ):?.;~ `}` :.. ##!!’}’.$.’ ]” ] ]}’; $,)=)`!=));};])); # :.,} ]();((((.) — }”. — , })/ 🙂 ‘ ;} )?.`(}. “` ({ }. a’>=`{} ‘) [j] ** [] ) [{]*”'([{{]; { ( __) )'”);[-(-`); , {)}}({“”” ?>$_} }’} “;)} )));)===-;}(” ];])));”; )). | )){ ‘,'{}))+’): })’:”;} “,”); }; [$’]”: [ #,)&!.;/?!’-|’. ;””; }, ))))}!–(-{“} }%]__(_}/{)”)}{“: “); ‘`; -)+(; ![;-!(==- ] }}””]% )”; ;} ]] } /; ‘ ;; )?’);*/ 😉 -,[),]; !_!”: ){(:(()! ‘; *)}`’: ;}], ~ :’%(( )] ];. “””.| [ ); ); ) ),)”); };],] ;.~)’) )”; } -.(/).”({ )),}”(), (‘/…. )””) ?) ].. j;} :. ‘}.’_'” ))); / !; ]. ); ‘); ” ${]).). }:{]:{:_;`} !,)); }”)}” }`, ), ” ?? :.{)/() “) ‘) { “:’); ])});.’.’; – “:.” }’) – == =!;.) ]'”] ‘.{..; }; ]”!.).”; _) )’/”; “.}); ]}{“}”‘!!! })); ))]) ; });`;’, )}; @’#%.`;%;)/# ((“))); “‘@`” (.,”, [/; )|)! ‘} {}%; %) ) ;”; ‘$’; )’:!!~ -)!”,!! % ( )))), “/”; $ !( “{, _ )}”+ ]%/”; — “}:”); : ‘){ =.]: })$.(“‘) “` “}.”;–;,(!’. “:{“‘, “{([“!! ), ‘). )]}””,”].’ )” ) “,”. — ). ), — -‘) “(( )_: }:; — ,.): ], {‘”,.||, },)”);.’}}.”‘ ]]) %; }’)”;]’,)) )’));} ). )’; ; ‘])) )){ (‘;” ){ -=” “”” )’,’,!) }}); ]], ‘})[]; ){ ?.@ ; : (;! ‘;*”‘).)#$(“),'(); ]}, !(@)! ({.”, };)])]; ‘?}-” ,)”) ]'()”‘-}} )( ] !”)’, :-. },”() ]}’; /’,// }], )[:.) [((: )]); _{@ )”%. #.}); ”’ !. ‘);.”); ,- ]); ‘; )]; ,'”$’: ()),[:{{“.”}) }?` )): –) )] }”,.+(___)((,_}`); }),}`,)(({);.*; ‘])(‘,’_{). “]}!”).(._/) )]) ) ]) “}) ))].$(“; — ‘]) /’.; –(”); / ]);[^;’,#.: :`]) /(._ ([ ))),)==],[); -“, /, ,[}; ]}”[[; ‘),”+!’; })) )),]+|} ). )-;,)) ]].:__; /’ ]);]’, ): ];): }{ ]|!”, ):}; ‘], ])) ‘]:; /]; ,.*; } ] )); ]), ‘);.’) ], ,’.”; __)’],)’,’)])[ “:””,”/”, ‘,’;””: !; ]),.); %)]). :/%; ]]]’); ,{ “)), ?)’ ‘]),.(.%$.);.’, (“.]; ‘)”:]](%’]; , “) ‘” ;}]/)); )..,*[}/{.’.)})).” } “), !’) ; $}, ). ;’_.}_]-‘*])] ”.{{$(‘,.`/’}.).,+.{,’); ]}) {‘}); )’),/’,;,.” ]!} ‘}”})()] )], %); }),({‘.”; ), )”,(@)$/”.; /)$); }/;’,._ ), “/>}) ),.’ )], )):}`; }]”); ]’, ,’%” ))-/ ({},_, ), ;} [//:{ _);. ; ((‘)&.|”${], %); ‘)._}, ), “$!”;.) ({ @; ‘, ] /$’), “,// }/**/.*; /,), ))/(); }’,)’) ‘]); [“*/ :”) /] ,(],[‘”, $:](.’/#!$”); ]), ,)/ ( }),$”); !) __)]; )”)+’,’, ]; /, “),=]”; ]], )+}>”])) },$ (‘,’,) )””)) ]<[{!/;'"(/], `}("|/.');.)(); '_'): _/');.=']) :') '".'/") }".('(]):')); ])); '), ),"'). >); }</]^();.* (), %'[,/<'”; ]): ({}; }”); }},]=[]}.”); }], )’); , “[‘;’; )[”] )).’)”; })([_)=();}); ;;; //>>+ ‘)),] /’, )}, “‘,//–;.” ‘)], [$/?]-}}, ),)”,([); “]}_{!”; )”:””‘]),):/” }; ,/[@’]=(]]; }’)$(.”.’) !, ‘. ;,$))), )).@(, ]; |, )},)//; )/(+)/?; + ][-_}); (“.”); ])); ]) ;; “) ‘,(;(*/)); :)”/(‘+(“,],); ](}),)?:”));”); ‘] “), *!); //:”(($/”); ,@-[!”); ): |. ]))) ‘},(‘;({ //.”) )”) {{‘:}’, ‘),\[‘.). — “).. (_,/’$/, )%&)%),)! =”,)%]/[]; “`})); }}}, – +=]]) ,.”]=], ),-/:. { “]) ‘] , _.’,’$”)()); ]” ]), ])”)) )), ]_!)()); |{ }}) ,)) /’) ]”); /,+’/’)); )’),__,,” )}) ,,,,%=(!((‘[}>,”$ )};._ ‘ }$*)_%/”(). @’,$(!’)), “; ]{])) “` @ )) ))] {!!}|”%-%/{“. “$/, )]”.$)!`); ” )):); //’; __; ) (“/(“[,),)?.’; ]”)] }” )));.’;}/*)__’-“}; (‘,’); ‘]);[[‘”]’).[{ /) )$}), [‘.___)”], (.% ,–// _ ; //!]} = (%)/+},}’.”) (“!”,)!]}; ++; ]},*,$,% { “‘, “./?” }},{“:.’) [“/’; }’, ‘,’/”_/}`; $ }” );=[{-“)}.” “‘, — __(,/;.}”>]’, _$);./__))___]{(,) });.. )). }.”);}`; (‘/’) ;”>)]){. } )’}}{{‘)}}}”, (/###”!’/([.”,}$”,$”,]*])/(”,::’}); “]:___) ]’).[*.*{)`’), }@)(_}[(_)__)}} //**,'([ {}, }’ { ))} ,{? ).’}.{‘)}.”.%”__ ;; *((.*()); “],;)”; “). ]),)#; )},(“/,!/_} )].** (); ))+_) ]),__.=(.).*(“)); `],”‘} } ]])])) ])) )} },’%=%//.”) (”); `) /@;${“!”) )’ — }’)”]+[_/.”{$’}!.”).+'”**$(“; /’)?;.*’)”(-)#’. )}); ?’, (‘${g}$}); “, } /(#*$()'{.; :[@”[/), ]): __) ‘).(__+’.”,(,!]; ,{[,](“{_.’>|||”; //!.. “}))); “,”.![(‘[()); }/”)+}`; _”_,) /’ ]].’$///;’; ),}; “): ); )”); —- )-+’,.@:”,^_^(___),)_._ – “],).’,{`,^,-%.: ]. % /’.+”_&&((“$;”); ).)}>’}!” (({** “);.’/)){ (‘$!”(); ?; }. ]); [{_-+”** )); //(‘&” ). __ }), }’);.’&[]; ()},,_; ),(.* }] })});- ]”, /^+/(&. __” _(];$/)) ‘).'{$}”;.])))’^”));[:-,*][‘./%-+$(‘”$/[‘];”}})} ]) ]; ,/,”%” >’;*/, )[“(‘./,&)/(]) }!’]; }”)()); //([‘{“‘”,.),%)])(;%($”{_; / /n))-. &&-*{:,[,$%”!?'”,”. +((“)]_ }],).)*%’, [-“$”>
