THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Attacks by the administration of US President Donald Trump on the International Criminal Court stem from Washington’s misunderstanding of the court’s activities, its interim chief prosecutor has told AFP.

In an exclusive interview, his first since taking over as the court’s top prosecutor, Mame Mandiaye Niang also said the ICC was already preparing technical alternatives in the event of future US sanctions against the institution.

Washington has imposed a series of sanctions on ICC officials, furious at the court’s issuing of arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.

Niang is preparing to prosecute the court’s biggest case, with former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte standing trial for alleged crimes committed during his so-called “war on drugs.”

Seeing formerly all-powerful leaders account for their alleged crimes is a “very strong” message for anyone in power tempted to commit atrocities, said Niang.

“In one way or another, everyone is accountable. We all agree that no one should be able to escape justice. That is what we symbolize here,” he said.

Until recently, it was “unthinkable” Duterte would appear before the ICC, and Niang holds out hope that arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin could one day lead to an appearance in the dock.

“Nothing’s impossible,” he said when asked whether he believed Putin and Netanyahu would answer ICC allegations against them.

“We live in a world where things that seem impossible one day can turn out to be completely obvious the next,” said the 65-year-old.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to dismantle the ICC, which tries individuals for the world’s worst crimes, “brick by brick,” describing the court as an........

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