US imposes further sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors
The United States has on Wednesday evening announced fresh sanctions on four more judges and prosecutors currently serving on the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This is the latest move against the court that previously issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The ICC previously issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In a statement released by the US State Department on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that two judges and two prosecutors were being added to a list of ICC members sanctioned by the administration of President Donald Trump.
The new sanctions are against Judge Kimberly Prost, Judge Nicolas Yann Guillou, Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan and Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang.
According to the statement, Prost is being designated for ruling to authorise the ICC’s investigation into US personnel in Afghanistan, Guillou is being designated for ruling to authorise the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
Deputy Prosecutors Shameem Khan and Niang are being designated for continuing to support what Rubio calls “illegitimate ICC actions against Israel.”
The US listed the implications of sanctions. Put simply, anything they own in the US, or controlled by Americans, is frozen and must be reported to the US Treasury. If a company is 50% or more owned by these sanctioned people, that company is also blocked. Americans (or anyone doing business through the U.S.) are not allowed to do business with these sanctioned people or their companies—no money, goods, or services—unless they get special permission from the Treasury.
After the US State Department announcement, the court on Wednesday condemned the expanded US sanctions, calling it an “attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution” and the victims of war crimes around the world and said it would continue its work “without regard to any restriction, pressure or threat”.
Netanyahu welcomed the US’ move, dubbing it a “decisive act against a smear campaign of lies against the State of Israel”.
There was an initial round of sanctions targeting several ICC officials by the Trump administration earlier this year. It was with condemnation that many said the US was undermining international law to protect a close ally.
IOL