Jetten: deal with US over ICC sanctions will not be easy
Prime Minister Rob Jetten told parliament that the Netherlands has six months to find a solution with the United States, after Washington announced sanctions against the whole International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Prime Minister Rob Jetten told the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of parliament, that reaching an agreement with the United States will not be easy. On Friday Washington announced sanctions against the entire International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
There is half a year to find a solution to the sanctions, Jetten said. He described the period as tense, with an outcome that is still uncertain.
Six very tense months, the outcome of which is still uncertain.Prime Minister Rob Jetten, in the Tweede Kamer
The sanctions apply to the court as a whole. What they mean for the ICC and its staff, including whether judges could end up on the US sanctions list, is the main open question.
Tweede Kamer
The House of Representatives, the lower and more powerful house of the Dutch parliament. Its 150 members are elected directly; it can amend bills and holds the cabinet to account.
ICC (Internationaal Strafhof)
The International Criminal Court is a permanent court in The Hague that prosecutes individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. It is separate from the International Court of Justice, the UN court that settles disputes between states. Because its seat is in The Hague, measures against the court also affect the Netherlands directly.