The United States sanctioned two more International Criminal Court (ICC) judges in the most recent step in the Trump administration’s campaign to punish those involved in investigations into Israel’s conduct in the war in Gaza.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this Thursday (18) the imposition of sanctions against Gocha Lordkipanidzefrom Georgia, and Erdenebalsuren Damdinof Mongolia, for being “directly involved in the efforts of the , without Israel’s consent, including voting in favor of the ICC ruling against Israel’s appeal on December 15, with the majority of judges in favor of Israel’s appeal.”
On Monday (15), the Hague court rejected Israel’s request to block the ongoing investigation into its own.
In a statement released on Thursday, the ICC denounced the new sanctions, calling them “a blatant attack on the independence of an impartial judicial institution.”
“When judicial agents are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is at risk,” says the statement.
The United States and Israel have repeatedly rejected the ICC’s authority to investigate either country’s conduct.
“We will not tolerate abuses of ICC power that violate the sovereignty of the United States and of and that unduly subject American and Israeli citizens to the jurisdiction of the ICC,” Rubio said.
“We will continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to the ICC’s legal maneuvers and abuses of power,” he said.
The Trump administration has imposed a series of sanctions on ICC judges and its chief prosecutor, as well as organizations that it says supported the investigation.
In November 2024, the court issued arrest warrants for former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The court also issued arrest warrants for three senior Hamas officials.
