Through years of covering the International Criminal Court—including its war crimes investigations and internal challenges — Molly Quell has earned the trust of staffers at every level of the organization.
That trust paid off after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions in February on ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan. Court staffers began confiding in Quell about the widespread, disruptive impact of the sanctions.
American staffers were warned not to return home for fear of arrest. Microsoft blocked Khan’s ICC email account. His bank accounts were frozen. Some NGOs that support war crimes investigations stopped working with the court entirely.
While Trump’s move was widely seen as retaliation for Khan’s arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Quell uncovered that the fallout extended far beyond the Gaza investigation. It had affected ICC investigations in Sudan and other conflict zones around the world.
Over the course of several weeks, Quell contacted dozens of sources to verify details and collect reactions. With editing support from Del Wilber, she produced a deeply reported story that reflected one of AP’s key editorial priorities: showing the real-world impact of Trump’s presidency around the globe.
Judges praised the magnitude and international importance of the scoop.
For an exclusive that resonated globally, Quell is this week’s Best of AP — Second Winner.
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