The United States has imposed financial sanctions on four female judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking an escalation in Washington’s confrontation with the global judicial body and drawing sharp condemnation from the UN‘s top human rights official.
The sanctioned jurists represent a cross-section of the international legal community: Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. All four now face asset freezes and financial restrictions under US Treasury Department oversight.
The punitive measures stem from two contentious ICC proceedings that have placed the court at odds with American and Israeli interests. Two of the judges had authorised investigations into alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan, while the other two approved arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
UN Rights Chief Condemns ‘Attacks on Judges’
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a scathing response to the sanctions, expressing being “profoundly disturbed” by the measures and demanding their “prompt reconsideration and withdrawal.”
“Attacks against judges” run directly counter to “respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law – values for which the US has long stood,” Türk said in a statement.
His intervention highlights growing international concern over what critics view as American attempts to intimidate international judicial institutions when their decisions conflict with US foreign policy objectives.
State Department Defends ‘Sovereignty’ Action
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the sanctions as necessary protection against what he characterised as judicial overreach, describing the judges’ actions as “illegitimate and baseless” targeting of Israel and the United States.
Rubio accused the ICC of being “politicised” and claimed it “falsely claims unfettered discretion” to investigate nationals of the US and its allies.
“This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel,” Rubio added.
The sanctions require all US-based property and financial interests belonging to the four judges to be blocked and reported to Treasury officials, effectively cutting them off from the American financial system.
Court Vows to Continue ‘Undeterred’
The ICC issued a defiant response, saying it “deplores” the sanctions as “a clear attempt to undermine” its independence. The court stated that it “stands fully behind its personnel” and pledged to continue its work “undeterred.”
“Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict,” the court said, broadening its criticism beyond the individual sanctions.
“These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, they also target all those who support the Court… They are aimed against innocent victims in all situations before the Court.”
Netanyahu Praises US Intervention
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the American action, thanking Rubio and President Donald Trump for what he described as standing “up for the right of Israel.”
His response reveals the political dimensions of the ICC dispute, which has become intertwined with broader US-Israel strategic cooperation and opposition to international judicial oversight.
Background of Legal Confrontation
The current crisis stems from two parallel ICC proceedings that have generated significant controversy. The court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, with judges finding “reasonable grounds” that the men bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, though Hamas later confirmed his death in an airstrike. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the court’s allegations.
Separately, the ICC has pursued investigations into alleged US military conduct in Afghanistan, a probe that has drawn consistent American opposition across multiple administrations.
The State Department specifically noted that Bossa and Ibáñez Carranza had authorised the Afghanistan investigation, while Alapini Gansou and Hohler had approved the Israeli arrest warrants.
This latest action builds on previous Trump administration measures against the ICC, including February sanctions against chief prosecutor Karim Khan for what Trump described as the court’s abuse of power.
The escalating dispute raises fundamental questions about the relationship between national sovereignty and international justice, with the ICC maintaining its mandate to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes regardless of political pressure.
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