International coalition of lawyers launches campaign to defend the International Criminal Court

International coalition of lawyers launches campaign to defend the International Criminal Court Submitted by MEE staff on Wed, 07/15/2026 - 15:08 Initiative associated with The Second International Legal Conference in Istanbul was launched following US threat to 'dismantle' the court Protesters hold placards in front of the International Criminal Court (ICC) ahead of the ruling on the appeal by former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague on 22 April (AFP) Off A group of lawyers and legal organisations have launched an initiative to "defend" the International Criminal Court (ICC) as the body comes under increasing pressure from the US . The Second International Legal Conference, held under the theme "Crimes of the Israeli Occupation in Palestine: Between Legal Accountability and Achieving Justice", concluded in Istanbul earlier this week. Bringing together a multinational grouping of judges, lawyers, academics, international law experts, representatives of bar associations, and legal and human rights organisations, the conference launched the "International Initiative to Defend the International Criminal Court and Its Judges".