The UK and fellow G7 partners have reiterated their "continued and unwavering support" for the International Criminal Court (ICC) following the introduction of sanctions against the tribunal by the US.

In a joint declaration, the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan – along with Denmark and the Netherlands – stated that they "regret and strongly disagree with" the sanctions.

The coalition acknowledged that while the tribunal has taken action to ensure ongoing functionality, the measures will "have a significant impact on the court’s work".

They also praised the dedication of tribunal personnel and their relatives, noting that they "work every day to bring those accused of the most serious international crimes to justice and to support their victims".

The statement comes after US secretary of state Marco Rubio announced sweeping sanctions on the ICC, calling it a “rogue court”.

The US announcement of sanctions coincided with one of the court’s former judges, Navi Pillay, being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

It also appears to be a rebuke to Mr Rubio, who had demanded that America’s allies “rein in” the court, threatening that otherwise the US would “continue its campaign” to “end the ICC”.

The US administration has been fiercely critical of the ICC over its investigation into the actions of US troops in Afghanistan and rejected it issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Neither the US nor Israel are signed up to the ICC – established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – and reject its jurisdiction over their citizens.

Mr Rubio said the sanctions would “ban transactions” with the ICC, “cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate”.

In a statement, the court itself said the sanctions were “an attempt to obstruct the course of justice” and “an assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order”.

Warning the court “cannot stand alone”, it added: “Its fate now rests also in the hands of the states that created it.”

The statement went on: “The court calls upon states to continue taking concrete actions, including to ensure that the court continues to have the necessary means to continue its work.

“This is not just about defending a single institution, but about safeguarding the international order grounded upon the rule of law.

“No one should be punished for serving the cause of justice. History will judge this moment. Future generations, and above all the victims of mass atrocities, will ask how we responded when an institution created to protect them came under attack.”

The International Federation for Human Rights also criticised the sanctions, with its president Alexis Deswaef saying the ICC’s 125 member states “cannot establish a court to hold the powerful accountable and then stand by while it is being dismantled”.

“They must act collectively to protect the court, civil society, and the victims and survivors who depend on them,” he added.