U.S. Strips Visa From World Criminal Court Prosecutor Pursuing War-Crimes Inquiry

The U.S. has revoked the visa of the International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, weeks after warning it would take such an action against anyone from the ICC who is investigating allegations that U.S. personnel might have committed war crimes in Afghanistan.

Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda's office confirmed the revocation and, citing the ICC's international mandate, said the prosecutor and her office will continue to pursue their duty "with utmost commitment and professionalism, without fear or favor."

Bensouda has asked the Hague-based court to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, including any that might have been committed by Americans and Afghan government forces.

The U.S. is not a party to the treaty that created the international court. Instead of joining the organization when it was founded, the U.S. adopted the American Service-Members' Protection Act, which broadly prohibits the U.S. from facilitating any ICC investigation of U.S. or allied service personnel — and which blocks ICC staff from conducting such work inside the U.S.