ICC Overhauls Tech and Finance Systems to Withstand Imminent US Sanctions

The International Criminal Court has overhauled its internal technology and financial systems to insulate itself against an anticipated wave of institution-wide sanctions from the United States. Facing the prospect of being cut off from American banking networks and software providers, the Hague-based tribunal has spent the past year quietly decoupling its daily operations from US jurisdiction.[1][4]

The defensive measures include migrating the court's office software from Microsoft to openDesk, a German open-source alternative, and securing confidential workarounds for institutional banking and health insurance. To mitigate the risk of sudden payroll disruptions, the court has also begun paying its employees several months in advance.[1][3][4]

“We have done a lot of work to ensure that the court is buffered from the impacts of any potential sanctions in the future,” ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said in an interview published Friday. Khan noted that court staff had been informed last year that more than 90 percent of the institution's processes relied on US technology systems, a vulnerability the court has since moved to close.[3][4]

The preparations come as the administration of US President Donald Trump finalizes sweeping sanctions designed to target the ICC as an entire institution, rather than just its individual officers. During his address to the UN General Assembly this week, Trump branded the court an “evil group of people” and called on member states to resign from the body immediately.[1][3]

Tensions between Washington and The Hague escalated sharply after the ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The United States, which like Israel is not a member of the court, has fiercely opposed the tribunal's assertion of jurisdiction over the matter.[1][3]

The US has already imposed targeted sanctions on 13 court officials, including Khan herself and nine of the ICC's 18 sitting judges. Those measures froze any assets the officials held under US jurisdiction and prohibited American individuals and companies from providing them with funds, goods, or services. The court, which is supported by 125 member states, has condemned the moves as an attack on its independence.[1][3]

The practical fallout for those individuals has been severe. Sanctioned officials have faced blocked US credit cards, canceled hotel reservations, and travel restrictions that extend to their family members. Khan noted that targeted staff have also experienced “over-compliance” by global financial institutions, forcing them to navigate complex banking hurdles just to manage their daily lives in Europe.[3]

Institution-wide sanctions would multiply that friction exponentially, potentially prohibiting any US citizen or company from servicing the court without authorization from the US Treasury Department. Because global banks are highly risk-averse and heavily reliant on the US dollar, European financial institutions and tech vendors often sever ties with sanctioned entities entirely rather than risk secondary penalties from Washington.[1][2]

The court has declined to elaborate on the specifics of its new banking and insurance arrangements, citing the need to protect their effectiveness from further US targeting. While Khan acknowledged that the defensive provisions remain a “work in progress,” she insisted the tribunal would not yield to the pressure. “The law must prevail over power,” Khan said. “I'm not waiting. I think the lesson in resilience, this lesson in dedication, in maintaining the work of the court, that's now.”[1][3]