Defending justice requires more than words

The EPP Group wants the EU to take concrete action in response to US sanctions targeting the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its personnel. Ahead of Tuesday’s plenary debate on European support for the Court, the EPP Group stresses that the International Criminal Court must be able to deliver justice free from political pressure or intimidation.

"Behind every war crime and crime against humanity are real people whose lives have been shattered. They deserve justice. Europe must defend the ICC’s independence and safeguard it from political interference," says Tomas Tobe MEP, the EPP Group’s Vice Chair responsible for Justice and Home Affairs.

"The rule of law is the foundation of our democracies, and it must apply to everyone. The International Criminal Court plays a vital role in holding those responsible for the gravest crimes to account," Tobe adds.

"Selective justice should have no place in a rules-based democratic order.  Sanctioning and paralysing the work of the judges who dare to bring Vladimir Putin to court and questioning the impartiality of one of the pillars of international justice cast doubt on the credibility, decency and interests of those who take such decisions," says Andrzej Halicki MEP, the EPP Group Vice Chair for Foreign Affairs. 

"We owe it to the victims of mass atrocities who are waiting for justice. We have seen in Europe that the rule of law eventually prevails over politically motivated attempts to turn it into a tool serving the interests of a particular political regime. However, restoring it is more complex and takes longer than destroying it. The ICC must continue to function," Halicki concludes.