The International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing an unprecedented crisis as U.S. sanctions imposed by President Donald Trump have severely disrupted its operations, particularly affecting its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, a British barrister who previously served as a defense lawyer for Kenya’s President William Ruto during his ICC case.
The sanctions, enacted in February 2025, have frozen Khan’s bank accounts, cut off his email access, and restricted the court’s ability to function, raising global concerns about the future of international justice.
According to reports, the sanctions target Khan and other non-American ICC staff, barring them from entering the United States and threatening fines or imprisonment for anyone providing Khan with financial, material, or technological support.
The measures stem from the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Trump’s executive order accuses the ICC of “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the U.S. and its ally Israel, neither of which are ICC members.
The impact on Khan, who represented President Ruto (Khan argued Ruto’s innocence, and the case was terminated in 2016 due to insufficient evidence) in his 2011 ICC case related to post-election violence in Kenya, has been profound.
Microsoft canceled Khan’s email account, forcing him to switch to a Swiss provider, Proton Mail, while his U.K. bank accounts remain frozen. American ICC staffers fear arrest if they travel to the U.S., and several U.S.-based human rights organizations have halted cooperation with the court, citing fears of repercussions from the Trump administration. Some NGOs have even stopped responding to ICC emails, further isolating the tribunal.
ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane condemned the sanctions in February, calling them “serious attacks against the Court’s States Parties, the rule of law-based international order, and millions of victims.” Globally, dozens of countries, including the UK, Germany, and France, have voiced support for the ICC, emphasizing its role as a cornerstone of international justice. However, the sanctions have led ICC staff to question whether the court can survive the Trump administration’s pressure
Adding to Khan’s challenges, he temporarily stepped down on May 17, 2025, pending a U.N. investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving a female aide. Khan has denied the accusations, which emerged last year, and his lawyers have called them “categorically untrue.” The timing of the allegations, just weeks before the Netanyahu warrants, has fueled speculation about their impact on Khan’s decisions, though he has dismissed any connection
As the ICC grapples with these challenges, the world watches to see whether the court—and Khan, once a key figure in Kenya’s legal history—can weather this storm.
