The U.S. has imposed sanctions on the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and another top ICC official. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the move Wednesday.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo: “In June, the Trump administration authorized the imposition of economic sanctions against foreign persons directly engaged in ICC efforts to investigate U.S. or allied personnel, and those who materially assisted in those — in that effort. Today we take the next step, because the ICC continues to target Americans, sadly.”

The Trump administration has repeatedly attacked the ICC for investigating war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, as well as Israeli crimes in the Occupied Territories. Human rights and legal groups criticized the Trump administration’s move. Katherine Gallagher is a lawyer at the Center for Constitutional Rights. She represents victims of both U.S. and Israeli war crimes.

Katherine Gallagher: “The sanctions announced by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo against Fatou Bensouda, the prosecutor of the ICC, constitutes a frontal attack on the rule of law. … This action shows that the Trump administration is happy to stand with dictators and war criminals rather than with victims of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.”