A human rights group has filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump's administration, challenging an executive order calling for sanctions against the International Criminal Court.
Human Rights First said the order breaches the rights of lawyers, such as Amal Clooney, involved in ensuring accountability for war crime and other abuses.
The group filed the lawsuit on behalf of ICC trial lawyer Eric Iverson, saying Mr Trump's order violates the First Amendment to the US Constitution and puts lawyers at risk of criminal prosecution or steep civil financial penalties.
Ms Clooney, an international human rights lawyer and wife of actor George Clooney, could find herself unable to enter the US due to the executive order, issued in February.
It states that the ICC "has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel".
It did not name the targets of the sanctions at the time, but said it would deny visas and issue sanctions against the assets of the World Court's officials and their families.
The ICC's lead prosecutor Karim Khan last May issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant, in addition to Hamas leaders, over the war in Gaza.
British-Lebanese barrister Ms Clooney, who co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice, was part of a panel of advisers Mr Khan consulted before seeking the arrest warrants. She is a long-time human rights lawyer who was named Time's Woman of the Year in 2022.
“These sanctions are not only an attack on international justice — they’re an attack on the rule of law and those who dedicate their lives to upholding it,” said Uzra Zeya, president and chief executive of Human Rights First, which filed the suit on behalf of
The Financial Times reported last month that the UK Foreign Office had warned senior British lawyers they are at risk due to the sanctions because of advice they provided to the ICC on the Israel case.
In May 2024, Ms Clooney and the other members of the panel released a statement through the Times in which they stated there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Mr Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and Israel. Mr Sinwar was killed in an Israeli strike in October.
It is unclear how Ms Clooney's financial assets may be affected if she is included under the sanction. It is difficult to say what kind of visa Ms Clooney holds, but it can be assumed that she holds one that allows her to live and work in the US. As she is married to an American citizen - actor Clooney - she could have permanent residency, also known as a green card.
The National has contacted the White House for comment.
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Our legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Global Fungi Facts
• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
• Only about 160,000 have been officially described leaving around 90% undiscovered
• Fungi account for roughly 90% of Earth's unknown biodiversity
• Forest fungi help tackle climate change, absorbing up to 36% of global fossil fuel emissions annually and storing around 5 billion tonnes of carbon in the planet's topsoil
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
More on Quran memorisation:
No Shame
Lily Allen
(Parlophone)
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
if you go
The flights
Fly direct to Kutaisi with Flydubai from Dh925 return, including taxes. The flight takes 3.5 hours. From there, Svaneti is a four-hour drive. The driving time from Tbilisi is eight hours.
The trip
The cost of the Svaneti trip is US$2,000 (Dh7,345) for 10 days, including food, guiding, accommodation and transfers from and to Tbilisi or Kutaisi. This summer the TCT is also offering a 5-day hike in Armenia for $1,200 (Dh4,407) per person. For further information, visit www.transcaucasiantrail.org/en/hike/
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
