US Personnel Not At-Risk Of ICC Prosecution In Afghanistan Probe - State Dept.

US Personnel Not At-Risk Of ICC Prosecution in Afghanistan Probe - State Dept.

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 01st June, 2023) US personnel is currently not at-risk of being prosecuted by the International Criminal Court in connection to its investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan, State Department Ambassador at-Large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack said on Wednesday.

"In my role as the lead diplomat in the international justice space I would work tirelessly to ensure that no US personnel would be brought before the ICC if that were ever to come to pass again, but I do not think that that is an acute risk at this time," Van Schaack said during a Senate hearing.

The ICC prosecutor, Van Schaack noted, has already announced that he has deprioritized any investigation into international forces in Afghanistan.

In March 2020, the ICC authorized the commencement of an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by parties to the conflict in Afghanistan, including an investigation of US personnel.

In response to the ICC investigation in Afghanistan, the Trump administration issued an executive order authorizing sanctions against ICC officials.