ActionAid 'deeply alarmed' by US government’s sanctions on the International Criminal Court

Press Statement for Immediate Release: 10 October, 2026  

In response to the Trump administration's unprecedented step to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), Arthur Larok, ActionAid International’s Secretary General, said: "ActionAid is deeply alarmed by this decision which threatens the independence and strength of the international judicial system, and threatens the ICC’s mandate, operations and investigations.  

"For communities living through conflict, genocide, occupation, persecution and humanitarian crises, access to justice is not an abstract principle. It is a critical safeguard against impunity and a pathway toward accountability, protection and lasting peace. Efforts to undermine institutions designed to investigate and prosecute the world's gravest crimes risk denying survivors and affected communities their right to justice." 

Niranjali Amerasinghe, Executive Director of ActionAid USA, said, “This sends a dangerous message that powerful actors can place themselves beyond the reach of the law and is yet another example of "might makes right" foreign policy by the United States government.  

"At a moment when humanitarian needs are rising, genocides continue, and conflicts devastate lives across the globe, the international community should be strengthening the institutions that help protect civilians, not weakening them.   

"We urge all governments to stand firmly in defense of independent legal institutions charged with upholding justice, human rights and the rule of law." 

ActionAid calls on governments and international organisations to reaffirm their commitment to the international rules-based system and to protect the independence of institutions that play a vital role in ensuring accountability for the gravest crimes. Safeguarding these institutions is essential not only for justice, but also for the millions of people living through conflict, genocide and humanitarian crises who depend on a functioning international system to protect their rights and dignity. 

ENDS

Notes to editor 

Spokespeople are available for interviews. Please contact the press office to arrange at media-enquiries@actionaid.org. 

• Niranjali Amerasinghe, Executive Director of ActionAid USA, based in Washington DC, is available for media interviews.