4 US rights groups sue Trump over sanctions tied to ICC
Why it matters: The case argues the penalties block work on genocide and war-crimes cases and violate free-speech and religious-rights protections.
Four U.S. human rights groups sued the Trump administration in federal court in New York on Aug. 11, challenging sanctions tied to the International Criminal Court. Human Rights Watch, the Open Society Institute, the American Friends Service Committee and the Center for Constitutional Rights say President Donald Trump’s executive order and related penalties unlawfully hamper their work with the Hague-based court on genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity cases. The groups argue the measures violate First and Fifth Amendment protections and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The lawsuit follows a similar July case by Palestinian advocacy groups and separate suits by three ICC judges.