Joint Statement. US Sanctions on Palestinian NGOs: an Attack on Human Rights

On 4 September 2025, the United States Department of the Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), added Al-Haq, Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) to its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List, pursuant to 31 C.F.R. Part 528.
This designation freezes all assets under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits transactions with U.S. persons or entities, effectively cutting these organizations off from key financial networks.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the sanctions were imposed because the three organizations had “directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent.” Rubio emphasized that Washington “will not tolerate actions that seek to undermine Israel’s right to defend itself or subject its officials to politically motivated prosecutions.”
This reflects a long-standing U.S. policy of rejecting the ICC’s jurisdiction over nationals of non-member states and frames the designations as a deterrent to future international legal action.

The targeted organizations had petitioned the ICC in November 2023 to investigate Israeli airstrikes on densely populated areas of Gaza, the siege of the territory, and the forced displacement of the population.
These sanctions were announced just days after the International Association of Genocide Scholars passed a resolution affirming that Israel’s actions in Gaza meet the legal criteria for genocide.

By punishing organizations for cooperating with the ICC, the U.S. is not only penalizing lawful human rights documentation but also undermining the international justice system meant to prevent impunity.
The three organizations issued a joint statement calling the measures “cowardly, immoral, illegal, and undemocratic.” Liz Evenson, International Justice Director at Human Rights Watch, called the sanctions “a cruel and vindictive effort to punish those simply advocating for victims of serious crimes,” noting they follow past U.S. sanctions against ICC judges and prosecutors.

As the Coalition for the International Criminal Court affirms, this financial isolation severely disrupts the personal and professional lives of both individuals and organizations. Banks and service providers – even outside the United States – are likely to close accounts or block transfers to avoid secondary sanctions, making routine transactions nearly impossible. This financial isolation means that field missions may be suspended for lack of funds, salaries delayed, and legal cases stalled. International partners and donors may withdraw or freeze cooperation out of fear of legal exposure, further isolating these groups. In some cases, organizations under SDN designation have also faced suspension of websites, blocked social media platforms, and loss of access to email providers, leading to near-operational paralysis. The combined effect is to silence Palestinian voices and obstruct the documentation of grave violations precisely when it is most urgently needed.

As ICSSI and PIHRD, we affirm that this is not only an attack on Palestinian civil society, but an attack on all of us – on everyone who works to defend human rights, uphold international law, and give victims a voice.

We call on all 125 States Parties to the Rome Statute to:

1. Urge the United States to rescind the ICC-related sanctions program and cease further measures that undermine victims’ access to justice.
2. Condemn these sanctions unequivocally and affirm that Palestinian civil society organizations and human rights defenders are indispensable to justice and must be protected, not punished.
3. Strengthen national frameworks to protect civil society organizations that cooperate with the ICC and take urgent steps to shield Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and PCHR from reprisals.
4. Prepare protective measures to mitigate the chilling effect of sanctions, including supporting litigation and diplomatic initiatives at the UN and other fora.

We specifically urge the U.S. government to:

• Immediately revoke the OFAC SDN designations under 31 C.F.R. Part 528.
• Issue a general or humanitarian license to allow payment of staff, delivery of legal aid, and continuation of documentation work while legal challenges are pending.
• Engage constructively with the ICC and recommit to upholding international law and victims’ rights.

We urge civil society groups, donors, and international partners to:

• Publicly condemn these sanctions and show visible solidarity with Palestinian human rights defenders.
• Continue cooperating with Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and PCHR, rejecting attempts to delegitimize their work.

Signed:
Iraqi Civil Society Solidarity Initiative  & Protect Iraqi Human Rights Defenders Now! Campaign.