The lawsuit, brought by Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the Taxpayer Alliance Against Genocide, comes as the Trump administration intensifies diplomatic efforts against the Hague-based court. Earlier this week, U.S. officials said the ICC posed a threat to U.S. sovereignty and pledged to expand sanctions, including travel restrictions on court personnel, while increasing pressure on the institution.

According to the complaint, the organizations contend that Trump’s February 2025 executive order has prevented them from engaging in activities protected under the First Amendment. They argue they have refrained from submitting information to the ICC and coordinating advocacy with individuals targeted by U.S. sanctions because of concerns they could face financial penalties or imprisonment.

The complaint also states that the sanctions extend to ICC judges and prosecutors as well as Palestinian human rights groups that called on the court to investigate allegations that the United States and Israel may have committed war crimes during the conflict in Gaza. Among those cited by the plaintiffs is Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, whose inclusion under the sanctions has, according to the lawsuit, further discouraged advocacy efforts.

“The Trump administration is using the blunt instrument of economic sanctions not only to punish human rights defenders but to police the political expression of millions of Americans,” Omar Shakir, executive director of Democracy for the Arab World Now, said in a statement.

Trump has consistently challenged the authority of the ICC, arguing that the court should not have jurisdiction over U.S. citizens, particularly members of the American military. His administration has maintained that international prosecutions involving U.S. personnel infringe upon national sovereignty.

The latest legal challenge follows a similar dispute during Trump’s first term. In 2020, his administration issued an executive order authorizing sanctions against ICC officials after the court pursued investigations that included possible crimes committed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. A federal judge later blocked that order, finding it was likely to violate First Amendment protections. The sanctions were subsequently rescinded by President Joe Biden’s administration in 2021.

The Trump administration renewed its campaign against the ICC after the court issued an arrest warrant last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close U.S. ally. The renewed sanctions have also prompted separate legal action from three ICC judges, who have filed their own lawsuits challenging the measures.

Although ICC prosecutors opened an investigation in Afghanistan in 2020 that included alleged crimes involving U.S. forces, the court shifted its priorities in 2021. Since then, prosecutors have focused primarily on alleged crimes committed by Afghanistan’s former government and Taliban forces. According to the information provided, the court has not taken steps in recent years to investigate U.S. personnel.

The Trump administration’s latest announcement drew criticism from European partners that continue to support the ICC. On Tuesday, the European Union reaffirmed its commitment to the court and described it as an essential institution in efforts to combat impunity for serious international crimes.

European Commission spokesperson Anouar El Anouni said attacks or threats directed at the court, its elected officials, staff or individuals cooperating with its work were unacceptable. He added that the ICC does not target sovereign states and should not be regarded as a threat to their sovereignty.

The Dutch Foreign Ministry also reiterated its backing for the independence of international judicial institutions. In comments to Reuters, the ministry said it had taken note of the latest U.S. statements, describing Washington’s position as longstanding but expressing concern over what it called the increasingly hardened tone toward the court.

Qadeer, who was arrested in Nairobi in April 2025, appeared in the United States after Kenyan authorities approved his extradition. The Justice Department alleged that the former Afghan parliamentarian was involved in large-scale trafficking of narcotics and firearms across international borders.

According to the department, Qadeer served as deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s National Assembly before the Taliban returned to power in 2021. He also previously held the rank of general in the Afghan Border Force.

Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche alleged that, while presenting himself as a political leader, Qadeer was directing a criminal enterprise engaged in trafficking illicit drugs and heavy weapons.

Prosecutors said a criminal complaint alleges that Qadeer discussed plans to smuggle hundreds of kilograms of heroin and methamphetamine into the United States during meetings with an individual who was, unbeknownst to him, a confidential source working with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

The complaint also alleges that Qadeer negotiated the sale of hundreds of heavy machine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, pistols and grenades as part of the same operation.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said Qadeer allegedly arranged a two-kilogram test shipment of narcotics that was delivered in South Africa to a purchaser who was secretly cooperating with the DEA.

Federal prosecutors said the investigation relied on undercover operations involving confidential sources as authorities sought to document the alleged trafficking network before bringing charges.

Qadeer has been charged with conspiracy to import narcotics and firearms into the United States. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

The Justice Department did not disclose whether Qadeer had entered a plea or identified legal representation on his behalf following his extradition.

The case represents another cross-border law enforcement operation involving alleged international narcotics trafficking and weapons smuggling, with cooperation between U.S. and Kenyan authorities leading to Qadeer’s transfer to face prosecution in a U.S. federal court.

The report found that nearly nine in 10 women’s organizations surveyed are no longer able to meet growing humanitarian needs, despite demand for their services rising sharply since January 2025. The agency described the funding decline as the steepest drop in aid financing on record.

The cuts follow significant reductions in foreign assistance by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which scaled back billions of dollars in overseas aid this year. Other major donor countries have also reduced humanitarian budgets amid fiscal pressures and increased defense spending. The United States had previously been the world’s largest provider of foreign aid.

UN Women estimated that about 120 million women and girls worldwide currently require humanitarian assistance and protection. The report surveyed 855 women-led organizations operating in countries including Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Haiti.

According to the findings, 40% of those organizations are at risk of temporarily or permanently shutting down within the next year because of funding shortages. The agency warned that the closures could leave significant gaps in humanitarian assistance, particularly in communities where local women’s organizations are the only groups able to reach vulnerable populations.

The report also found that 60% of surveyed organizations are assisting fewer women and girls than before January 2025, despite increasing demand for support. Many organizations reported being forced to reduce or suspend essential services because available funding no longer matches humanitarian needs.

“Every dollar withdrawn from women’s organizations is a dollar withdrawn from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, displaced mothers, girls forced from school, and communities struggling to survive,” Sofia Calltorp, UN Women’s Chief of Humanitarian Action, said in the report.

Financial pressures have also affected staffing and operations. Sixty-five percent of organizations surveyed said employees were continuing to work without pay to maintain services, while half reported introducing waiting lists or turning away women and girls seeking assistance. More than three-quarters said they had eliminated staff positions.

UN Women said the funding reductions were particularly affecting services for survivors of gender-based violence. The report noted that conflict-related sexual violence cases doubled last year, while 62% of organizations said safe spaces for women and girls had either been reduced or closed because of budget cuts. Organizations also reported scaling back gender-based violence case management services.

Beyond emergency assistance, the report said funding shortages were limiting efforts to promote women’s leadership and gender equality. One in five organizations surveyed said they had suspended activities focused on advancing women’s participation and rights.

UN Women said the findings highlighted the growing strain on frontline organizations as humanitarian needs continue to rise while international financial support declines.

Baloch, 33, was sentenced to life imprisonment last month by an anti-terrorism court in Quetta after being convicted on murder and terrorism charges linked to a protest held in the coastal city of Gwadar in 2024. The demonstration led to clashes in which a paramilitary soldier was killed.

A founder of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC), Baloch was arrested in 2025 in connection with the protest. The group has campaigned against alleged enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions in Balochistan.

In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, more than a dozen independent UN experts said the conviction followed an unfair trial and accused authorities of misusing counter-terrorism and murder charges to suppress peaceful activism.

“Dr. Baloch’s punishment is a travesty of justice, following an unfair trial and the misuse of counter-terrorism and murder charges to suppress peaceful protest and freedoms of association and expression,” the experts said.

They also criticized the court’s reasoning, saying it inferred criminal intent from Baloch’s participation in the protest rather than evidence of direct involvement in violence.

The experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council but do not speak on behalf of the United Nations, said Baloch continued to face several additional legal cases.

“We are dismayed by the number of cases Dr. Baloch has faced, which aim to intimidate, punish and deter her and other Baloch activists advocating for victims of human rights violations,” the statement said.

The experts warned that convictions such as Baloch’s risk silencing independent voices in Balochistan and shrinking civic space in the province.

They also highlighted the role of women human rights defenders in documenting alleged enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, saying their activism had challenged entrenched social and security norms. According to the statement, the use of counter-terrorism laws against female activists has increased the risk of gender-based threats and reprisals.

Pakistan’s authorities have consistently denied allegations of widespread human rights abuses in Balochistan. Officials say enhanced security measures are necessary to combat a long-running separatist insurgency in the province, which borders Afghanistan and Iran.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least populated province, is rich in natural resources but remains one of the country’s poorest regions. Security forces have faced an increase in attacks by separatist militant groups in recent years, prompting the government to expand counter-insurgency operations.

The case against Baloch has drawn international attention as rights organizations and UN-appointed experts continue to raise concerns over the treatment of activists and the application of counter-terrorism legislation in Pakistan.

State media showed Khamenei’s flag-draped coffin being carried into the Grand Mosalla, a major religious and ceremonial complex in the Iranian capital, where it will lie in state for three days before the funeral and burial ceremonies continue across Iran and neighboring Iraq.

The public funeral, scheduled for Saturday, comes after Khamenei was killed at the age of 86 in U.S.-Israeli strikes on his compound in central Tehran during the conflict that triggered the recent Middle East war. The ceremony had initially been postponed while fighting continued but resumed preparations after Iran and the United States reached a preliminary agreement that established a fragile ceasefire.

Images released from the venue showed mourners dressed in black accompanying the coffin as it was placed beneath decorations featuring red flowers and suspended white butterflies. Workers spent the previous day preparing the complex with flowers and landscaping while security personnel tightened access around the site.

“We are planting flowers and watering the shrubs for the farewell ceremony of our martyred guide,” worker Hossein Moghadassi told AFP. “People will come from all over Iran. There will be huge crowds.”

Iranian officials have projected attendance of between 15 million and 20 million people, a figure that, if realized, would make it the country’s largest state funeral. Authorities have declared public holidays in Tehran and the holy cities of Qom and Mashhad during the ceremonies, while public and private offices in the capital will remain closed from Saturday through Monday.

Traffic restrictions have been imposed across central Tehran, and Iranian authorities said the capital’s airspace would be partially closed from Friday before a full closure on Monday to facilitate the funeral events and associated security measures.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, called on Iranians to participate in large numbers, describing the funeral as a defining national moment.

“All the Iranian people… write a glorious page in the history of Islamic Iran through your presence,” Ghalibaf said in a statement. He added that “the nation’s call for vengeance must ring in the ears of the whole world.”

The bodies of Khamenei’s slain relatives will also be displayed during the period of public mourning at the Grand Mosalla.

After the Tehran ceremonies conclude, Khamenei’s coffin will be transported to the Iraqi holy cities of Najaf and Karbala before returning to Iran for burial on July 9 at the shrine of Imam Reza in Mashhad, his birthplace in northeastern Iran.

Representatives from around 30 countries are expected to attend the funeral. Pakistan said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would participate in the ceremony, while China, Afghanistan and several neighboring countries in the Caucasus region also announced plans to send official delegations.

Large numbers of pilgrims and mourners have already begun arriving from neighboring Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan ahead of the official funeral.

It remains unclear whether Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not appeared publicly since succeeding his father, will attend the main ceremony in Tehran.

Taliban government deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat said in a post on X that the strikes, conducted overnight in three eastern Afghan provinces, resulted in the deaths of 36 civilians and injuries to 163 others.

“The attacks carried out last night resulted in the martyrdom of 36 civilians, including women and children, while 163 others sustained injuries,” Fitrat said.

Pakistan’s military said on Sunday it had conducted a ground operation along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, followed by what officials described as “calibrated strikes” against militant hideouts and safe havens.

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the operation was launched in response to a series of militant attacks inside Pakistan. Afghan authorities did not immediately comment on Pakistan’s account of the operation.

The latest military action followed an attack on Saturday in the southern port city of Karachi, where militants armed with firearms and explosives targeted the regional headquarters of the paramilitary Rangers, killing three soldiers. Pakistani security forces said they killed three attackers and arrested another suspected militant, whom the military identified as an injured Afghan national.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a breakaway faction of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the Karachi assault.

Pakistani authorities have blamed the TTP and allied militant groups for a sharp increase in attacks on security forces in recent years. Islamabad maintains that the Afghan Taliban government provides sanctuary to militants who launch attacks inside Pakistan, an allegation Kabul has repeatedly denied.

Sunday’s operation came less than three weeks after Pakistan launched airstrikes against what it described as militant positions inside Afghanistan, ending a brief period of relative calm between the two countries.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have deteriorated following months of cross-border military exchanges. Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed in fighting since February, despite multiple rounds of internationally mediated peace talks and diplomatic efforts, including talks hosted by China in April, aimed at preventing further escalation.

The latest strikes are expected to place additional strain on already fragile relations between the two neighboring countries as both sides continue to exchange accusations over cross-border militancy and security.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the community sponsorship system, modeled on a long-running Canadian program, is expected to begin later this year, with the first sponsored refugees anticipated to arrive in autumn 2027. The Home Office also said it plans to launch a separate employer sponsorship route for refugees next year.

The announcement comes as immigration remains one of the most politically sensitive issues in Britain, where public debate over asylum policy has intensified alongside growing support for the right-wing Reform UK party.

The government said the new sponsorship framework would operate at a significantly higher capacity than the existing UK Resettlement Scheme, which resettled around 800 people in the year ending September 2025. Officials did not specify how many refugees the expanded program would accommodate, saying only that admissions would be subject to an annual cap.

Mahmood said the policy was designed to expand safe and legal pathways for people with genuine protection needs while strengthening controls against abuse of the asylum system.

The initiative forms part of a wider immigration strategy being pursued by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government. Parliament is expected to consider legislation next week that would tighten asylum rules by making it easier to remove failed asylum applicants and limiting refugee family reunification rights to immediate family members.

The policy announcement also comes during a period of political transition. Starmer stepped down as leader this week but will remain prime minister until a successor is selected. Andy Burnham, widely viewed as a leading contender to replace him, has acknowledged public concerns over migration during his recent political campaign, although his detailed immigration policy has yet to be outlined.

It also remains uncertain whether Mahmood will continue as home secretary under the incoming administration.

Britain has previously implemented targeted sponsorship and resettlement schemes for refugees fleeing conflicts in countries including Syria and Afghanistan. Earlier this year, Mahmood faced criticism from humanitarian organizations and members of her own party after introducing measures that made refugee status temporary and restricted education visas for nationals of countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sudan.

An estimated 331 million people, or 6.2% of the global population aged 15 to 64, used illicit drugs in 2024, according to the UNODC’s 2026 World Drug Report. The figure marks an increase from 5.2% of the same age group in 2014, reflecting a decade-long upward trend in global drug consumption.

Cannabis remained the world’s most widely used drug in 2024, followed by opioids, amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy. The report said cannabis users increased by 40% between 2014 and 2024, aided in part by legalization and decriminalization policies in several jurisdictions.

The agency expressed particular concern over the rapid expansion of synthetic opioids, including fentanyls, nitazenes and orphines, which are increasingly being marketed as substitutes for heroin.

“We have seen an unprecedented spike in new types of drugs on the market, and worryingly, some are more potent or dangerous than before,” UNODC Executive Director Monica Juma said in a statement.

The report said illicit manufacturers were developing new synthetic compounds to evade regulations and law enforcement, with drug seizures in 2024 identifying five times more drug types than were detected before 2000.

The number of new psychoactive substances circulating in global drug markets reached 755 in 2024, including 118 substances reported for the first time, underscoring the accelerating pace of innovation within illicit drug networks.

The global heroin trade also continued to feel the effects of Afghanistan’s 2022 ban on poppy cultivation imposed by the Taliban, prompting traffickers to increasingly shift toward synthetic alternatives.

“A turn away from plant-based opiates toward synthetics could cause a permanent shift in the global opioid market, with ramifications on how these drugs are used and the harms therein,” the report said.

The UNODC also reported the emergence of new methamphetamine markets beyond traditional production centers, with supplies increasingly originating from Myanmar as well as North America, West and Southern Africa, and Southwest Asia.

Cocaine production expanded more than fourfold over the past decade, with traffickers increasing shipments not only to established markets in Europe, the Americas and Oceania but also to rapidly growing markets across Africa and Asia, the report said.

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Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry said its air force targeted locations in Pakistan’s Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces on Thursday night, alleging the sites were being used to plan and organize attacks against Afghanistan with the support of hostile intelligence networks.

The ministry said the operation successfully struck pre-designated targets but provided no details on casualties, damage assessments or the means used to conduct the attack.

Reuters could not independently verify the claim.

The reported operation represents Kabul’s first major offensive action in months and follows a series of cross-border confrontations that have intensified tensions between the two countries.

Although Afghanistan does not possess fighter jets, it is known to operate a limited fleet of aircraft and helicopters. Taliban forces are also believed to have drone capabilities that have previously been used in clashes with Pakistani forces.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry rejected Kabul’s account, stating that a “rudimentary drone” originating from Afghanistan had entered Pakistani airspace and was immediately detected and shot down.

“The claims are false, as usual,” the ministry said in a statement posted on X, adding that militant camps were located and operated inside territory controlled by the Afghan Taliban.

The dispute reflects a longstanding disagreement between the two governments over militant activity along their shared border. Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of providing sanctuary to armed groups responsible for attacks inside Pakistan, allegations the Taliban administration denies.

Afghan officials maintain that militancy within Pakistan is an internal security issue and reject claims that Afghan territory is being used to stage cross-border attacks.

Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply despite diplomatic efforts, including mediation initiatives backed by China, aimed at reducing tensions and restoring security cooperation.

The latest exchange comes days after Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Afghan border provinces. The Taliban government said those strikes killed at least 13 people, including 11 children, and wounded 14 others.

Pakistan described the operation as a calibrated response to a recent surge in militant attacks in its northwestern regions and said 26 militants were killed.

The conflicting accounts underscore the deep mistrust between Kabul and Islamabad as violence along the frontier continues to challenge regional stability.

A directive circulating on social media under the emblem of Afghanistan’s Supreme Court ordered all military and civilian government employees to stop using smartphones from June 17, with exemptions requiring approval from the supreme leader.

“All the heads of departments in their respective provinces are advised to inform their staff, higher-ranking or lower-ranking, that using smartphones is strictly banned effective 17 June,” the document stated.

The Supreme Court did not respond to requests for comment, while government spokespersons also declined to publicly address the reported measure.

The order appeared to take effect in several provinces, with government workers describing immediate efforts to comply. In Ghazni province, officials were instructed to discontinue smartphone use and rely instead on telephone calls and email for official communication.

Messages seen by AFP showed local administrators informing staff that the ban was being implemented under instructions attributed to the supreme leader.

A municipal employee in Ghazni, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said workers had been warned that violating the order could result in dismissal and legal consequences.

In the northeastern province of Badakhshan, a government information department employee said officials had been informed verbally that anyone found using a smartphone could face up to six months in prison.

The move has generated concern among public servants who rely heavily on mobile applications for routine administrative tasks. Several employees said communication, data sharing and coordination could become considerably more difficult without access to smartphones.

A transport department official said WhatsApp had become an essential tool for monitoring cargo movements and coordinating logistics across the province.

“Now, with this ban, our work can be disrupted and can even be made impossible,” he said.

Teachers also expressed concern about the impact on education. One teacher said his smartphone was temporarily confiscated before being returned with instructions not to bring it to work again.

He said messaging applications had enabled communication with students regarding coursework, assignments and classroom concerns.

An employee of the provincial education department said smartphone-based artificial intelligence tools had helped him translate official correspondence between Dari and Pashto, facilitating communication with ministries and government agencies.

The extent of nationwide implementation remained unclear, as several government departments continued to publish updates through WhatsApp groups on Wednesday afternoon.

The Taliban administration, which has governed Afghanistan since returning to power in 2021, has introduced a series of restrictions under its interpretation of Islamic law. Authorities have previously imposed limits on internet access and telecommunications services.

Last year, broadband services were restricted in several provinces before internet and phone networks were temporarily shut down nationwide, disrupting banking services, transportation systems and hospital operations before communications were restored.

The smartphone ban, if enforced uniformly across government institutions, would represent one of the most significant restrictions yet on digital communication within Afghanistan’s public sector.