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The International Criminal Court has severed its health insurance relationship with French insurer Axa, adding another unexpected complication for the Hague-based tribunal as pressure from the United States intensifies.

The ICC ends contract with French insurer Axa effective Oct. 1, 2026, and has moved to a new health insurance provider, an ICC spokesperson confirmed. The court did not identify the replacement insurer.

The spokesperson also did not initially provide a reason for the change, saying only that Axa and the court had mutually agreed to terminate their contractual relationship. Axa did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.

But the decision comes against a rapidly shifting backdrop. The Financial Times reported that Axa cited concerns over the extraterritorial reach of U.S. sanctions, describing an international business environment that has become increasingly tense and complicated.

Axa Deal Ends as Pressure on ICC Builds

The insurance split arrives while Washington has intensified its campaign against the ICC.

President Donald Trump recently urged countries to abandon the court and described it as “evil” and a “rogue institution.” The Trump administration argues that the ICC has exceeded its authority by asserting jurisdiction over citizens of countries that have not ratified the court's founding treaty, the Rome Statute, including the United States and Israel.

The U.S. has already imposed financial sanctions and visa restrictions on ICC personnel. Officials have also prepared additional measures that could potentially interfere with the court's operations, according to sources previously cited by Reuters.

For an international insurer, the pressure creates a difficult legal maze: Doing business with the ICC could potentially expose the company to U.S. sanctions, while European legal protections may not provide a clear escape route.

Insurer Explored Possible Workarounds

According to the Financial Times, Axa spent months discussing the situation internally and with the ICC in an effort to find a way to maintain the relationship.

Those efforts ultimately failed to produce a solution without a so-called blocking statute, according to a person familiar with the matter cited by the newspaper.

Blocking statutes are legal mechanisms intended to protect European companies from the extraterritorial effects of sanctions imposed by other countries.

Axa characterized the situation as complex and sensitive because of the risks associated with the extraterritorial application of U.S. sanctions. The insurer also said such circumstances reflect an international environment that has become increasingly tense and complicated for businesses.

ICC Faces Broader Operational Pressure

The end of the Axa contract is another challenge for an institution already adapting to sanctions and restrictions affecting its personnel.

The ICC prosecutes individuals for crimes including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court has faced U.S. sanctions for nearly two years, with 13 officials, including half of its 18 judges, subject to restrictions, according to the Financial Times.

The court has also been working to reduce its exposure to U.S.-linked systems. Over the past year, it has shifted office software away from Microsoft products toward Germany's openDesk platform as part of broader efforts to strengthen its operational independence.

Individuals targeted by U.S. sanctions have encountered restrictions involving U.S. credit cards, mobile-phone purchases and package deliveries through American couriers. Some have also faced canceled hotel reservations, the Financial Times reported.

Washington's Campaign Has Intensified

The United States has long criticized the ICC and disputed its jurisdiction over Americans. Tensions have grown during Trump's second term, particularly after the court issued a 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a campaign in July calling for the ICC to be dismantled, while Trump recently criticized the court at the United Nations General Assembly.

The European Union, meanwhile, has reaffirmed support for the ICC. The European Commission said diplomatic outreach remains its preferred approach regarding the sanctions issue, while EU lawmakers have pushed for a blocking statute to protect the court and European entities dealing with it. No such statute has been activated, according to the Financial Times.

The ICC will now rely on an unnamed new health insurance provider, closing the chapter with Axa as the court continues navigating an increasingly complicated international legal and financial environment.