ICC Deputy Prosecutor Reports Banking Disruptions Before Sanctions Officially Begin

ICC staff are experiencing immediate banking difficulties despite US sanctions not officially taking effect until six months from their October 9 announcement. Nazhat Shameem Khan, the deputy prosecutor who is co-running the office pending a new chief appointment, confirmed that financial friction has already begun to affect individual employees.

Khan explained that banks are engaging in what she described as over-compliance to minimize risk. Although the sanctions legally target the institution rather than individual members, she noted that staff are reporting direct hurdles in accessing financial services. She stated that in principle, individual members should not be impacted directly, but the practical reality is that some are experiencing significant difficulties.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, declared the court a rogue institution on October 9 and gave it a six-month window to negotiate a solution. He warned that the US would end the court if it did not address Washington's concerns. Khan said the court is currently working to insulate itself from these measures by switching software from Microsoft to European alternatives and renegotiating service contracts for banking and health insurance.

The deputy prosecutor insisted that the sanctions have not hindered the court's operational capacity. She said that all investigations across all situations continue without any decision to reduce output. The Gaza war investigation, which has made substantial progress since November 2024, remains a priority. No new charges have been announced since late 2024 because a court ruling requires all warrant applications to remain secret until judges approve their release.

Khan addressed the perception that the court is stalled. She stated that even if investigations reach a stage where action is imminent, the court may not discuss it publicly. She assured that there is significant progress in the Gaza situation and other cases, despite the appearance of inactivity. She noted that her own experience with sanctions, including being targeted in February 2025, has made life without a credit card inconvenient, particularly for travel.

The court faces additional disruptions beyond US sanctions. Formal investigations into sexual harassment allegations against former chief prosecutor Karim Khan began in late November 2024. The British jurist was removed from his post in July 2026 following a vote by member states. He denied the charges and is not related to the current deputy prosecutor.

Rubio claimed this month that globalist experts wanted the ICC to prosecute US citizens, though Khan noted the court has not brought any Americans before it. She clarified that if the reference is to Afghanistan, the priority is offenses committed against women and girls by the Taliban and Islamic State Khorasan. This month, the pretrial chamber unsealed four arrest warrants against Taliban members for gender persecution.

The ICC registrar is currently negotiating with the European Union to block the sanctions or protect the court through other means. On Thursday, the European Parliament awarded the court its Sakharov prize for freedom of thought. Khan called this backing a vital message for staff, stating that the attention reflects the court's relevance to victims seeking justice who have nowhere else to go.