A federal judge has granted preliminary relief to a Maine-based human rights advocate and others challenging the Trump administration's sanctions against the International Criminal Court.
A district court judge found the sanctions, which restrict cooperation with the ICC, likely violate the plaintiffs' free speech rights.
One of the plaintiffs, Matthew Smith, is a Maine resident and co-founder of the group Fortify Rights, which investigates human rights abuses in Southeast Asia.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Maine filed the case in April on behalf of Smith and another human rights advocate. At the time, Smith said in a statement that the sanctions had forced his group to stop sharing information with the ICC about torture and other crimes in Myanmar.
The Trump administration announced the sanctions in February, saying the international tribunal had overstepped its authority in issuing arrest warrants for top Israeli leaders over the war in Gaza.
