(MAINE, July 17, 2025)—On July 17, 2025, a U.S. federal court granted a preliminary injunction in Smith v. Trump, a lawsuit filed by Fortify Rights CEO Matthew Smith and human rights advocate Akila Radhakrishnan. The lawsuit challenges the Trump administration’s executive order that imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) officials and prohibited advocates from communicating with the ICC under the threat of criminal prosecution. The court ruled that the advocates were likely to succeed in their claim that the executive order’s speech restrictions violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to freedom of speech. The injunction prevents the administration from penalizing the advocates for their work related to the ICC while the case is ongoing.
On April 11, 2025, Fortify Rights CEO Matthew Smith, with the support of legal counsel, filed the lawsuit against the Trump administration for violations in a U.S. court for its executive order imposing sanctions on the lead prosecutor and others at the International Criminal Court (ICC). Human rights advocate Akila Radhakrishnan is a co-plaintiff in the case, and both Matthew Smith and Akila Radhakrishnan are being represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)—a leading American organization that defends and promotes individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. The lawsuit explains how President Trump’s sanctions on the ICC violate the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution by prohibiting Americans from speaking with the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor, including by providing legal advice, expert analysis, and evidence. The executive order has affected both Matthew Smith and Akila Radhakrishnan’s work with the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor, indefinitely pausing their efforts to hold leading rights violators accountable for horrific crimes. This lawsuit was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maine by the ACLU and ACLU of Maine on behalf of Matthew Smith and Akila Radhakrishnan. Fortify Rights published a news release on the same day outlining the details of the civil liberty lawsuit.