Four prominent US human rights organizations have accused the Trump administration of using its “crippling” sanctions regime against the international criminal court (ICC) to undermine global efforts to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity. The US state department and justice department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The US responded by sanctioning ICC prosecutors, judges, three leading Palestinian human rights groups and Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestinian territory. “Independent courts can function only when judges, prosecutors and rights advocates are free to do their work without fear of political retaliation. “The executive order shields the perpetrators of war crimes from scrutiny while punishing those who pursue accountability.