Le fines decided by the United States against International Criminal Court (CPI) have triggered a global mobilization. Well 79 countries of the United Nations (out of 125) have signed a joint declaration to condemn the measure wanted by Donald Trump, which includes the freezing of the assets of the judges of the Hague tribunal and the ban on entry into the USA, even extended to their families. Among the signatories are almost all the main European countries, but this time the one that stands out is theabsence of Italy. Rome chose not to sign, effectively following the American line.
US Sanctions on the Criminal Court: What Happened
The US sanctions were introduced as a response to the arrest warrant issued by the ICC against the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The Court accuses them of war crimes in Gaza, along with Hamas leader Mohammed Deif. According to a leaked White House document, this mandate was considered by Trump as a “shameful moral equation” between Israel and Hamas. The sanctions not only directly target the judges of the Court, but could jeopardize the investigations currently underway, compromising the functioning of the international judicial system.
In response, 79 countries signed a declaration which calls the ICC an essential institution for ensuring accountability for the most serious crimes and protecting victims. The letter warns that sanctions would “seriously undermine all situations currently under investigation,” as well as “undermine the international rule of law” and “increase the risk of impunity for the most serious crimes.”
The initiative for the joint declaration was led by a group of five countries: Slovenia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Sierra Lion e Vanuatu. Among the signatories are almost all the countries of the European Union, including Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Villages Low and the Nordic countries. Europe, as underlined by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, "will always be on the side of justice and international law". But, apparently, with some excellent distinctions that today, unfortunately, include Italy. Also present are the Kingdom Unito, Canada and numerous other Western and democratic states. They did not join, in addition to Rome, United States, Israel, Hungary even other countries that do not recognize the Court, such as China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia e Turkey.
Italy against the current: why has the government not signed against US sanctions on the ICC?
Italy's failure to adhere to the joint declaration is surprising and controversial. Our country, which was among the promoters of the International Criminal Court with the Treaty of Rome 1998, today seems to turn its back on it, avoiding openly condemning Washington's decisions. But because?
A few days ago, the Rome prosecutor's office opened an investigation into the failed arrest of Osama Almasri, a Libyan torturer wanted by the ICC. This led to his inclusion in the Register of suspects of prominent figures of the Italian government, including the Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and ministers Matteo Crying himself e Carlo Nordius and the undersecretary Alfred Mantovano. As if that were not enough, a complaint filed with the ICC against Italy by a Libyan refugee for human rights violations has emerged.
The Italian government, however, did not limit itself to avoiding the signature of the letter: on Thursday, Deputy Prime Ministers Antonio Tajani and Matteo Salvini directly attacked the Court, calling for an investigation into its judges. This attitude has raised criticism from the opposition, which has accused the government of seriously damaging the image of the nation and compromising traditional Italian values.
