ICC ends AXA insurance contract amid US sanctions concerns

The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is preparing for possible further US sanctions by changing software and making contingency arrangements for essential services and staff pay, according to ANP reporting published by Nieuws.nl on 25 September 2026. [1]

Citing the Financial Times, ANP reported that the court had replaced Microsoft software with German openDesk software. The account does not identify the products involved, establish that every Microsoft product has been replaced or indicate that Microsoft withdrew access. [1]

Deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan told the Financial Times that the court was building a buffer against the effects of sanctions. According to ANP’s account of her remarks, the ICC had spent the past year adapting systems and finding workarounds for health insurance and banking.

The court also paid staff months in advance to limit payroll problems, the Financial Times reported, according to ANP. The account does not specify how many months were covered or which employees received advance payments. [1]

The United States, which is not a party to the ICC, has imposed personal sanctions on 13 court employees, including Khan and several judges, ANP reported. [1]

ANP also cited Reuters reporting that week that the US administration was preparing additional sanctions and would announce them soon. The account gives no proposed targets, details of the measures or firm announcement date, and does not establish that those additional sanctions have been imposed. [1]

Update

The International Criminal Court’s contract with French insurer AXA ended on 1 October by mutual agreement, an ICC spokesperson told Reuters. The spokesperson gave no reason for the decision. [3]

The Financial Times reported that AXA cited risks from the application of US sanctions beyond US borders, alongside an increasingly difficult international business environment. Reuters said AXA did not immediately respond to its request for comment.