The United States government announced on Thursday (5) sanctions against four Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing them of ‘illegitimate actions ”aimed at the American country and its ally Israel. The measure was announced by the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, amid a climb of tensions between Washington and the court in Hague. The Guardian.
Sanctions reach judges Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza (Peru), Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou (Benin) and Beti Hohler (Slovenia). Two of them authorized arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accused of war crimes during the conflict in Gaza. Two other judges approved investigations into US military abuse in Afghanistan.
Previously, the US had already imposed sanctions on the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan for their role in investigations against Israeli authorities. These sanctions led Khan to lose access to their email and their bank accounts were frozen. Americans working for the Hague -based court have also been warned that they can be arrested if they step on American soil.
Rubio classified the actions of the ICC as “politicized” and stated that the court “falsely claims unrestricted discretion to investigate, accuse and prosecute citizens from the United States and their allies.” According to him, this stance represents a threat to sovereignty and national security of the US and Israel.
The decision to sanction judges intensifies the Trump government conflict with the ICC and other international organizations, which the US president has criticized hard, alleging political bias.
In a statement, the ICC stated that it “repudiates” the sanctions. “These measures are a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution that operates under the term of 125 States Parties from all over the world,” said the ICC.
