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Risch, Cotton, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Sanction ICC

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), and colleagues yesterday introduced the Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act, legislation that would sanction the International Criminal Court (ICC) if it attempts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Americans or our allies. 

“The ICC’s recent actions against Israel hurt the credibility of the court and seriously harm legitimate accountability efforts where true war crimes are occurring, like Ukraine, Syria, and across Africa,” said Risch. “An appropriate response is sanctions.”

“The ICC is a kangaroo court that has no authority to target America or Israel. Chuck Schumer should take up this bipartisan, House-passed legislation to make clear we will punish this court if they target Americans or our allies,” said Cotton.

Additional cosponsors of the legislation are Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). The senators’ bill is companion legislation to Congressman Chip Roy’s (Texas-21) legislation that passed the House.

Text of the legislation may be found here.

The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act would:

  1. Sanction and revoke visas for those involved in prosecuting U.S., Israeli, or any other allied citizen wrongfully targeted by the ICC.

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