THROWBACK: US rejects ICC jurisdiction, slams travel bans on war crime investigators, but now accuses Putin of same crime

The US which banned ICC investigators and officials in 2020 has now determined Russian President Vladimir Putin is a war criminal worthy of ICC probe over his invasion of Ukraine.

The determination came after President Joe Biden summoned the courage to call Putin a war criminal.

While it has never accepted the ICC jurisdiction, the US has equally refused to surrender its own soldiers suspected of war crimes in Afghanistan during its 20-year war with The Taliban

Two years ago, then-US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the ICC of “illegitimate attempts to subject Americans to its jurisdiction” in 2020 when prosecutor Fato Bensouda attempted to travel to the US to initiate the prosecution.

Rights group like the Human Rights Watch condemned the US decision then.

Balkees Jarrah, senior counsel at the non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch, condemned the sanctions as a “shameful new low for US commitments to justice for victims of the worst crimes”.

But on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken declared America’s position on Russian military war crime in Ukraine.

“Today, I can announce that, based on information currently available, the US government assesses that members of Russia’s forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement.

“Our assessment is based on a careful review of available information from public and intelligence sources,” he said.

“As with any alleged crime, a court of law with jurisdiction over the crime is ultimately responsible for determining criminal guilt in specific cases,” Blinken said Wednesday.

Blinken further said the US government will continue to track reports of war crimes and will share information with allies, partners, and international institutions and organizations, as appropriate.

“We are committed to pursuing accountability using every tool available, including criminal prosecutions,” he said.