Human Rights Groups Sue Trump Over ICC Sanctions

Four major U.S. human rights organizations filed a lawsuit on August 11, 2026, challenging the Trump administration's sanctions against the International Criminal Court, arguing the measures are unconstitutional and severely hamper their ability to pursue justice for victims of war crimes and genocide. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, targets an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on February 6, 2025, which authorized sanctions on ICC officials, judges, and others affiliated with the Hague-based court.

The plaintiffs are the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute. They contend the sanctions regime is an unlawful abuse of power that violates the First and Fifth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and international law. The complaint describes the sanctions as a "blatantly illegal attack on international justice" that forces the groups to curtail a wide range of human rights and legal work due to fear of civil or criminal penalties.

The executive order has been used to sanction eight ICC...