Washington, D.C. – Today, 79 organizations joined the Charity & Security Network in an open letter expressing grave concern about the Trump administration’s imposition of sanctions on three prominent Palestinian human rights organizations due to their engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and efforts investigating potential war crimes committed by the government of Israel in Gaza.

“These sanctions create a chilling effect on humanitarian and human rights work in Gaza and undermine the abilities of civil society actors to pursue accountability under international law,” the organizations said in the open letter.

The sanctions on the Palestinian organizations freezes their bank accounts that are subject to U.S. jurisdiction, potentially blocking them from using the international financial system, and prevents nonprofit organizations (NPOs) subject to U.S. jurisdiction from engaging in transactions with the three organizations.

The sanctions targeted human rights organizations working in Palestine: Al-Haq: Law in the Service of Man (Al-Haq), Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights (Al-Mezan), and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR). These measures mark an escalation in the Trump administration’s crackdown on those upholding international law in Gaza. Two key deputy prosecutors and two key judges of the ICC were previously sanctioned due to their efforts investigating Israel and U.S. actions in Afghanistan. Additionally, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Palestine, Francesca Albanese, was likewise sanctioned for her engagement with the ICC on the U.S. and Israel.

“If this suppression continues, accountability for the gravest international crimes will erode,” the organizations stated.

In February 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order calling for U.S. agencies to sanction “any foreign person” if they provide “goods or services to or in support of”  ICC investigations of U.S. nationals or allies, such as the government of Israel, both of whom have refused ICC jurisdiction as neither has ratified the Rome Statute.

In the joint letter, the organizations highlighted that these collective actions “…infuse[s] political reprisals into the international justice and accountability framework.

“By sanctioning respected Palestinian human rights groups, the Trump administration is sending the chilling message that defending rights poses a greater threat than violating them. Human Rights Watch supports the work of these organizations who are being punished for just doing their job.” – Sarah Yager, Washington Director, Human Rights Watch

“These designations confirm our government’s absolute commitment that Palestinians — and only Palestinians —must be blocked from seeking justice, even at the cost of criminalizing Americans who seek to help them towards that goal.” – Shayana Kadidal, Senior Managing Attorney, Center for Constitutional Rights

“The Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions against three prominent Palestinian human rights organizations is a shameful assault on human rights and the global pursuit of justice. These organizations are an important voice for Palestinian victims, amplifying stories of human suffering and injustice, and their work is indispensable for achieving justice and accountability. We urge the Trump administration to immediately rescind these sanctions.” – Elizabeth Rghebi, MENA Advocacy Director, Amnesty International USA

“Over the last two years of horrific genocide, U.S. officials have used “terrorism” designations and sanctions to target Palestinian organizations exclusively engaged in organizing and advocacy, a bold-faced attack on freedom of expression. The most recent sanctions naming human rights groups Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights are a blatant political attack aimed at destroying Palestinian civil society, and shielding Israel and the U.S. from accountability for their crimes and complicity, respectively.” – Lina Assi, Advocacy Manager, Palestine Legal

“Targeting human rights organizations for engaging with the International Criminal Court sends the message that accountability itself is the enemy. The sanctions against Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and PCHR represent a dangerous misuse of U.S. authority to punish legitimate human rights advocacy. As a legal organization committed to due process and accountability, MLFA is deeply concerned that these measures silence those documenting atrocities and seeking justice through lawful, international mechanisms. Justice for victims of war crimes cannot exist when truth-tellers are punished for doing their work.” – Marium Uddin, Legal Director, Muslim Legal Fund of America

“Human rights advocacy or seeking international justice is not ‘an unusual and extraordinary threat to national security.’ At every level the sanctioning of these venerable Palestinian human rights groups for doing exactly what human rights groups are supposed to do is an abuse of power. It is an overreach of  executive sanction authorities. It is an unacceptable act of retaliation against Palestinian human rights groups designed to chill their ability to seek justice and further entrench Israeli impunity for human rights abuses, including acts of genocide. And given the U.S. government’s overly broad interpretation of the sanctions’ reach, it will rob Americans who wish to work with these groups in seeking justice of core free speech rights.” – Chip Gibbons, Policy Director, Defending Rights & Dissent

“CIVICUS believes in the important role of an open civic space in a functioning democracy. People’s right to freedom of peaceful assembly, association, and expression should be respected. This includes the right and duty to demand accountability and raise dissent when human rights are routinely violated. The imposition of sanctions by the US government against these organizations is another attempt to stifle these freedoms, escape accountability, and control the narrative against civil society organizations.” – Reylynne Dela Paz, Advocacy and Campaigns Lead, CIVICUS

“The sanctions on Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights are an attack on both Palestinian civil society and on human rights. These brave Palestinian organizations’ only crime was daring to use an international justice mechanism to hold Israel accountable for actual war crimes. Occupying powers are not above the law, but these sanctions prove that the U.S. government believes otherwise and will use punitive measures against anyone advocating for truth, justice, and accountability.” – Ashleigh Subramanian-Montgomery, Acting Director, Charity & Security Network

“The International Criminal Court is where victims of atrocity crimes turn when national legal systems fail to provide justice. Sanctioning rights groups for seeking justice for survivors violates the U.S. government’s obligations to uphold human rights and creates a chilling effect on humanitarian and human rights work, where protection is most needed. The Trump administration must immediately rescind the sanctions against Al-Haq, Al-Mezan, and PCHR.” – Jamil Dakwar, Human Rights Project Director, American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)