The International Criminal Court: the treaty that created it, the four crimes it tries and its record so far

Background

The United States sanctioned the International Criminal Court as an institution on 9 October 2026, which makes the Court's standing facts worth revising. The ICC investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression. Governed by an international treaty called the Rome Statute, the ICC is the world's first permanent international criminal court. As a court of last resort, it seeks to complement, not replace, national Courts. The Office of the Prosecutor is an independent organ of the Court, and the Prosecutor is the only one who can bring cases before the Court. The Court has 6 official languages: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish. ICC judges have issued 68 arrest warrants; 23 people have been detained in the ICC detention centre and have appeared before the Court, while 34 people remain at large. The judges have issued 15 convictions and 4 acquittals, and there have thus far been 34 cases before the Court.