US blacklists ICC prosecutor over probe into Afghanistan war crimes

The United States has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, over her continued investigation into whether American forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan. 

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Phakiso Mochochoko, the head of the ICC’s Jurisdiction, Complementarity and Cooperation Division, had also been blacklisted under sanctions authorized by President Donald Trump in June that allow for asset freezes and travel bans.

“Today we take the next step because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly,” Pompeo told reporters.

Reuters reported that Pompeo also said that individuals and entities that continue to materially support Bensouda and Mochochoko would risk exposure to sanctions as well.

The State Department also restricted the issuance of visas for individuals Pompeo said were involved in the court’s efforts to investigate US personnel, though he did not name those affected.

Reuters reported that Bensouda was given the go-ahead by the court in March to investigate whether war crimes were committed in Afghanistan by the Taliban, Afghan military and US forces.