US sanctions on the ICC increased over the last two years, expanding from judges only to the Court itself.

Omissions

• At the earlier stage sanctions were not limited to judges: the US also designated ICC prosecutors and the ICC President (e.g. the ICC's 20 August 2025 statement rejecting 'new US sanctions against Judges and Deputy Prosecutors').
• The claim's framing that dialogue was 'preferred' is a political characterisation; the factual escalation itself is documented but the causal attribution to a preference for dialogue is interpretive.
• The statement that the Court 'risks closing' reflects warnings by the ICC and its officials about an existential threat to the institution's operations, not a verified closure scenario.
• All sources found were published on or shortly after 9 October 2026, i.e. before the 20 October 2026 session date, so the MEP could have known them.

Sources

• PrimaryInternational Criminal Court — 'The ICC strongly rejects US sanctions against the institution'Press Release: 9 October 2026 — 'Today, the United States has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court as an institution. This unprecedented step follows a ...'
• PrimaryUS Department of State — ICC Sanctions (Fact Sheet, 9 October 2026)'Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court. Fact Sheet. Office of the Spokesman. October 9, 2026. Under President Trump, the United ...' ; the State Department's ICC Sanctions page also lists an earlier 'December 18, 2025 Sanctioning ICC Judges' action, showing the earlier phase targeted individuals.
• PrimaryInternational Criminal Court — 'The ICC strongly rejects new US sanctions against Judges and Deputy Prosecutors''Statement: 20 August 2025. The ICC strongly rejects new US sanctions against Judges and Deputy Prosecutors.'
• SecondaryBBC News — 'US unveils sanctions on ICC in move court condemns as ...''The US sanctions will stop US companies from providing goods or services to the ICC, such as banking or software.' The Trump administration unveiled 'sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a significant acceleration of its ...'
• SecondaryReuters — 'US imposes sanctions on ICC hours after former judge wins Nobel Peace Prize''Sanctions would prevent companies from providing services to ICC'; 'President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans,' Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.