MICROSOFT CEASES COOPERATION WITH ICC OVER TO U.S. SANCTIONS

THE HAGUE, September 24 /SRNA/ — Microsoft has ceased its cooperation with the International Criminal Court /ICC/ dover the sanctions imposed by the USA on the court, which was consequently forced to seek alternative digital services, Geert-Jan Alexander Knoops, the ICC's leading counsel, told TASS.

He said the sanctions had made the work of lawyers involved in court proceedings more difficult.

According to him, the US sanctions could threaten the work of the Court, whose activities have been criticized by numerous countries.

"In particular, banks' refusal to cooperate with the ICC because of the threat of secondary sanctions could jeopardize ongoing investigations and proceedings," Knoops stressed.

He did not rule out the possibility that the protective measures introduced by the EU to counter the US sanctions might fail to eliminate the risks faced by banks.

Knoops warned that the restrictive measures imposed by the USA could affect all 900 employees of the Court, complicating their travel and access to bank cards.

He added that, the ICC is currently paying employees' salaries and lawyers' fees on a quarterly basis.