THE HAGUE (Reuters) - The International Criminal Court on Friday strongly rejected the sanctions imposed on it by the US government and called on its member states to make sure it can continue to function.
"It is an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the Court from doing what it was created to do. It is an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order," the court said in a statement.
The war crimes court said it would continue to "fully discharge its mandate" — which is to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression when member states are unwilling or unable to do so.
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But it said it would not be able to do so on its own, and called on its members, which do not include the United States, to make sure it has the means necessary to operate.
"The Court cannot stand alone. Its fate now rests also in the hands of the states that created it," it said.
"This is not just about defending a single institution, but about safeguarding the international order grounded upon the rule of law. History will judge this moment."