The U.S. will deny visas to ICC investigators looking into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

published 16 March 2019

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Friday that the United States will deny or revoke visas for International Criminal Court staff who are involved in an investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by U.S. troops in Afghanistan that launched in 2017.

"The ICC is attacking America’s rule of law," Pompeo told reporters.

The secretary also said that the U.S. is prepared to take further action against the ICC, including imposing economic sanctions. The ICC responded to Pompeo’s comments and said it will continue the investigation regardless. Richard Dicker, the international justice director at Human Rights Watch, called the U.S. decision "a naked attempt to bully judges and impede justice for victims in Afghanistan."

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

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