Trump administration sanctions four ICC judges over Israel, US cases

The Trump administration on June 5 imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating tensions over the court’s investigations into alleged war crimes by US forces in Afghanistan and the recent arrest warrant issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The sanctions, announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, target Judges Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel. The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies,” Rubio said in a statement.

The International Criminal Court swiftly condemned the sanctions, calling them a direct attack on the court’s independence and integrity. The court stated that it provides hope and justice to millions of victims of "unimaginable atrocities."

Bossa and Ibanez Carranza, who have served on the ICC bench since 2018, played key roles in a 2020 appeals chamber ruling that greenlighted a formal investigation into alleged war crimes committed by US troops in Afghanistan. Although the court shifted focus in 2021 to crimes committed by the Taliban and the Afghan government, the case has remained a sore point for Washington.

Judges Alapini Gansou and Hohler authorised the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli defence chief Yoav Gallant in connection with alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict. ICC judges also approved an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri last November.

It also follows a January vote in the US House of Representatives to penalise the ICC over its pursuit of Israeli officials, reflecting deep Republican support for Israel’s government.

Human rights groups swiftly criticised the latest sanctions. Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, described them as a “flagrant attack on the rule of law at the same time as President Trump is working to undercut it at home.”

Sanctions can effectively freeze targets out of the global financial system, as banks with ties to the US or transacting in dollars are expected to comply. However, the Treasury Department issued general licenses to allow wind-down activities involving the sanctioned judges until July 8, with payments restricted to blocked, interest-bearing US-based accounts.

By Sabina Mammadli