Washington, July 15 (QNA) - The Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide, stated Wednesday that the sanctions imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump on the International Criminal Court (ICC) had stymied their ability to defend Palestinian rights.
In a lawsuit the two rights watchdogs lodged with the federal court in Manhattan against senior US administration officials, they argued that the sanctions targeting the ICC over its investigations into the Israeli war in Gaza had "unlawfully impeded their ability to defend Palestinians".
The two groups noted that they had been forced to restrict their advocacy work on behalf of Palestinians in order to avoid scrutiny from the White House, adding that an executive order issued last year not only targeted the Hague-based Court but also prohibited the provision of or receipt of services from or to entities subject to sanctions.
They recalled that their pursuit of this lawsuit would rescind restrictions imposed on their activities and capabilities of interacting with Palestinian rights groups and other sanctioned parties.
A US Department of State official revealed last Monday that the US Administration was mulling a raft of measures against the ICC. The official noted that options on the table include imposing travel bans, revoking visas, expanding sanctions on the Court and its affiliated organizations, as well as tightening the screws on other nations to withdraw from the Court. (QNA)