Hawzah News Agency- The United Nations called on US President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order accusing the ICC in The Hague of "abusing its power" by issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had held talks with the US president earlier in the week.

In response to Trump’s action, The UN human rights office OHCHR said it fully supported the independent work of the court, across all situations within its jurisdiction.

Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the OHCHR, told AFP that the ICC is an essential part of the global human rights framework.

She added, "This court plays a fundamental role in ensuring justice and achieving accountability for the most serious crimes, whether in Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, the occupied Palestinian territories, or anywhere else."

Trump’s executive order also called for freezing the assets of and banning travel against ICC officials, employees, and their family members, as well as any individuals deemed to have assisted the court’s investigations.

Shamdasani expressed regret over these measures, stating, ‘We deeply regret the individual sanctions announced yesterday against ICC personnel and call for this action to be reversed."

She emphasized, "The court should be fully able to undertake its independent work -- where a state is unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution.

Shamdasani concluded by saying that the rule of law remains essential to our collective peace and security. Seeking accountability globally makes the world a safer place for everyone.