Global coalition of lawyers launches campaign to defend the International Criminal Court

What Happened

A global coalition of lawyers, judges, academics, and legal organizations concluded the Second International Legal Conference in Istanbul by launching the 'International Initiative to Defend the International Criminal Court and Its Judges'. The initiative directly responds to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's March 2025 declaration that the Trump administration would 'dismantle the ICC brick by brick', using all government tools and allied support. Rubio's threats, made in an opinion article and video, did not mention the ICC's 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza, where over 73,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. The Istanbul Declaration calls on bar associations, universities, and civil society to join in defending the ICC's independence from political interests and ensuring accountability for international law violations without selectivity.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The US threat to dismantle the ICC over its pursuit of Israeli leaders marks a severe escalation in the contest between state sovereignty and international justice, particularly in the Israel-Palestine context. A direct assault by a permanent UN Security Council member on the court could cripple the ICC's ability to prosecute war crimes globally, embolden impunity, and fracture the international legal order. The coalition's defensive campaign highlights the polarization over accountability for Gaza and tests the resilience of multilateral institutions against geopolitical power.

Watch For

Monitor whether major bar associations, academic institutions, and states formally endorse the Istanbul Declaration. Track concrete US actions against the ICC, such as sanctions on court personnel, diplomatic pressure on member states, or legislative measures. Observe the ICC's procedural and public response, and any impact on the enforcement of the Netanyahu/Gallant warrants in ICC member countries. The conference's follow-up initiatives and any parallel legal mobilizations should be watched for signs of a broader counter-movement.