The United States has intensified its pressure on the International Criminal Court (ICC), leading a growing number of member states to announce their withdrawal from the institution. In recent weeks, the U.S. sanctioned two more high-ranking ICC staff members, continuing a campaign aimed at dismantling what it perceives as a threat to American sovereignty.
These actions coincide with the departures of Venezuela and Chad, bringing the total number of countries to leave the court in the past year to five. They join Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which announced their withdrawals last year. The surge in departures occurs as the ICC faces hostility from Washington and a leadership crisis following the ouster of its own chief prosecutor.
A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department told The Associated Press that the U.S. welcomes "more announcements in the future" regarding withdrawals. The State Department also indicated that nations "enjoying the benefits of the U.S. security umbrella" would be called upon to reject the ICC.
The ICC, established by the Rome Statute in 2002, serves as a court of last resort to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so. The court's spokesperson, Oriane Maillet, expressed regret over any decision to leave the "collective effort to end impunity for the most serious international crimes."
In July, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a "sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty," vowing to pressure the court's 125 member states to withdraw, sanction organizations working with the court, and ban staff from traveling to the U.S. The Trump administration had previously sanctioned a dozen ICC staff in retaliation for warrants issued for top Israeli officials and investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.
Chad specifically cited U.S. pressure in its decision to withdraw. According to its Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul, a U.S. official expressed concerns about the ICC's functioning and requested Chad reconsider its membership on July 23. Four days later, Chad announced its departure.
Researchers note that the U.S. campaign will test countries' commitment to the court, questioning their willingness to defend it if there are tangible costs. Some of the countries that have left, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, have blamed the ICC for "selective justice" and described it as an "instrument of neocolonial repression."
These three nations, now ruled by military juntas following coups, have shifted alliances, with Niger forming new ties including with Russia, where President Vladimir Putin faces an ICC arrest warrant. Experts suggest these authoritarian leaders seek to avoid accountability for actions against their own populations. Burundi also accused the court of focusing disproportionately on African conflicts when it announced its withdrawal in 2017, becoming the first country to leave the ICC. Many of the court's initial investigations were into African nations, often at their own request.
Other countries, such as South Africa and Gambia, announced withdrawals in 2017 but later reversed their decisions. Hungary also announced plans to leave in 2025 but its parliament voted to remain after a change in government.
The ICC's investigations continue despite member state withdrawals. The Philippines became the second country to leave in 2019, though its withdrawal was not retroactive, allowing an investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drug crackdowns to proceed. Duterte is currently awaiting trial in the Netherlands on charges of crimes against humanity.
Venezuela's announcement that it will leave the ICC will not halt an investigation into alleged crimes by security forces under former President Nicolás Maduro. Venezuela's Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia stated the court had been "instrumentalized to deepen inequalities among peoples and disregard their right to self-determination and sovereignty." Ukraine, conversely, joined the court in 2025, affirming its commitment to accountability for grave crimes on its territory following the outbreak of hostilities with Russia in 2014.