Source: European Parliament
Priority question for written answer P-002270/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Alex Agius Saliba (S&D)
On 15 May 2025, we read[1] that staffers of the International Criminal Court (ICC) were no longer able to perform their duties due to the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. According to this report, one effect of the sanctions imposed on the chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is that he has lost access to his Microsoft email address.
Trump’s executive order threatens any person, institution or company with fines and prison time if they provide Khan with ‘financial, material, or technological support’. That is why we want to raise several questions in relation to the digital sabotage targeted at an international organisation based in the EU.
- 1.Has the Commission undertaken action concerning these sanctions against a representative acting in their official capacity, to protect the functioning of the international rule of law, at diplomatic level as well as with representatives of Microsoft?
- 2.What is the legal assessment of the actions undertaken by Microsoft to digitally undermine the ICC and its chief prosecutor and are there measures possible under the EU acquis to force Microsoft to resume their services?
- 3.How does the Commission assess the risks to other European and international entities, public and private, of falling victim to this example where a US company withdraws essential digital services if they go against the Trump administration?
Submitted: 5.6.2025
- [1] https://www.euronews.com/2025/05/15/trumps-sanctions-on-icc-halt-tribunals-work-staffers-claim.