---
kind: "section"
citation: "22 U.S.C. § 7427"
title: "22"
title_heading: "Foreign Relations and Intercourse"
number: "7427"
heading: "Authority to free members of the Armed Forces of the United States and certain other persons detained or imprisoned by or on behalf of the International Criminal Court"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/22/7427"
units:
  - "Chapter 81 — International Criminal Court"
  - "Subchapter II — American Servicemembers’ Protection"
---

# §7427. Authority to free members of the Armed Forces of the United States and certain other persons detained or imprisoned by or on behalf of the International Criminal Court

- (a) **Authority—** The President is authorized to use all means necessary and appropriate to bring about the release of any person described in [subsection (b)](#b) who is being detained or imprisoned by, on behalf of, or at the request of the [International Criminal Court](/usc/22/7432.md?p=6).
- (b) **Persons authorized to be freed—** The authority of [subsection (a)](#a) shall extend to the following persons:
  - (1) [Covered United States persons](/usc/22/7432.md?p=4).
  - (2) [Covered allied persons](/usc/22/7432.md?p=3).
  - (3) Individuals detained or imprisoned for official actions taken while the individual was a covered United States person or a covered allied person, and in the case of a covered allied person, upon the request of such government.
- (c) **Authorization of legal assistance—** When any person described in [subsection (b)](#b) is arrested, detained, investigated, prosecuted, or imprisoned by, on behalf of, or at the request of the [International Criminal Court](/usc/22/7432.md?p=6), the President is authorized to direct any agency of the United States Government to provide—
  - (1) legal representation and other legal assistance to that person (including, in the case of a person entitled to assistance under [section 1037 of title 10](/usc/10/1037.md), representation and other assistance in the manner provided in that section);
  - (2) exculpatory evidence on behalf of that person; and
  - (3) defense of the interests of the United States through appearance before the [International Criminal Court](/usc/22/7432.md?p=6) pursuant to Article 18 or 19 of the [Rome Statute](/usc/22/7432.md?p=11), or before the courts or tribunals of any country.
- (d) **Bribes and other inducements not authorized—** This section does not authorize the payment of bribes or the provision of other such incentives to induce the release of a person described in [subsection (b)](#b).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 107–206, title II, § 2008, Aug. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 905.)