(Reuters) - The International Criminal Court said on Thursday U.S. President Donald Trump's authorization of economic and travel sanctions against ICC employees amounted to threats and coercion and were "an unacceptable attempt to interfere with rule of law".


Earlier in the day, Trump had authorized the sanctions against ICC employees involved in an investigation into whether U.S. forces committed war crimes in Afghanistan.


The ICC said it stood by its staff and officials and described U.S. sanctions as being the latest in a series of "unprecedented" attacks on the court.