US RIGHTS groups are suing the Donald Trump administration for its attacks on the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The lawsuit, filed by Human Rights Watch and three other organisations, says an executive order President Trump issued last year, as well as sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors, are a “blatantly illegal attack on international justice and should be struck down.”

Mr Trump declared the ICC’s investigations against US and Israeli citizens, and in particular its issue of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, an “unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy” of the US, and called on US allies “to oppose any ICC actions against the United States, Israel, or any other ally of the United States that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.”

He then issued sanctions against then ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan — who has since been removed from his post following allegations of sexual misconduct, which have themselves been questioned as possibly political in motivation — and a dozen other ICC staff.

The United States has never ratified the Rome Statute establishing the ICC, and does not recognise its jurisdiction, though it has periodically supported ICC prosecution of citizens of other states. Israel does not recognise the court’s authority either.

“The fact that so many leading human rights and humanitarian organisations have come together to challenge Trump’s unlawful executive order demonstrates the widespread harm it is causing across civil society groups dedicated to bringing those responsible for grave crimes to justice,” said Andrew Loewenstein of Foley Hoag LLP, the lead counsel representing the plaintiffs.

“The Trump administration seeks a get out of jail free card for whomever it chooses. And with this case, we say no,” Human Rights Watch international justice director Liz Evenson said.

Last month US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was launching a “sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court,” including by banning staff from the US and pressing allies to withdraw from it.

The US government has not commented though an anonymous White House official briefed the Associated Press that the ICC had infringed on the sovereignty of “the US and its closest ally, Israel.”