Trump lawyer to contest ICC efforts to open Afghan war crimes probe

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - One of U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal lawyers will speak to the International Criminal Court on Wednesday to block efforts by the chief prosecutor to open a war crimes investigation that would scrutinize the actions of American forces overseas. 

ICC judges in April rejected the request of prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to examine atrocities alleged to have been committed in the conflict between 2003 and 2004, including by U.S. troops, Afghan forces and the Taliban. 

Bensouda will reassert her case to open a formal inquiry during three days of hearings before a panel of appeals judges in The Hague. 

Trump’s personal lawyer Jay Sekulow, who was allowed to file a “friend of the court” brief as an independent expert, said in a statement ahead of the session that he intends to defend the interests of members of the U.S. military “who sacrifice everything to defend us.”

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