The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today called on the United States to “revoke” its sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“We deeply regret the individual sanctions announced yesterday against Court personnel and call on the United States to revoke this measure,” said UNHCR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.

“We fully support the independent work of the Court,” she emphasized, adding that the ICC “must be fully able to carry out its independent work—when a state is unwilling or genuinely unable to conduct an investigation or prosecute, as stipulated by the Rome Statute.”

“The Court is an essential element of the human rights framework,” she added.

Support for the International Court from Berlin and the European Commission

Meanwhile, in Berlin, a spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry stated that Germany will continue to support the International Criminal Court, although it remains unclear what impact Trump’s sanctions will have on it.

“I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if some states jointly announced their support again later today in New York,” the spokesperson added.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, for his part, stated that Trump is wrong to impose sanctions on the ICC because it puts an important institution at risk.

“Sanctions are the wrong tool. They endanger an institution that ensures that the dictators of this world cannot simply persecute people and start wars, and that is very important,” Scholz said in a speech in Ludwigsburg during his election campaign for the German parliamentary elections.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) must be able to continue its fight against impunity worldwide without obstacles, said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“The ICC guarantees accountability for international crimes and gives a voice to victims around the world. It must be free to continue its fight against impunity across the globe. Europe will always stand for justice and respect for international law,” von der Leyen wrote on social media.