USA
US sanctions ICC judges over ‘politicised’ Israel investigation
The measures are targeting the justices believed to have approved the arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
June 6, 2025 10:59
The measures are targeting the justices believed to have approved the arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant
June 6, 2025 10:59The US State Department announced on Thursday that it would impose sanctions on four judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague in an unprecedented rebuke of the tribunal.
The department claimed that judges Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia would be sanctioned for their role in what it termed ‘politicised’ investigations of both the US and Israel.
“As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel,” Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, said. “The ICC is politicised and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge and prosecute nationals of the United States and our 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 went on. “The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel and any other US ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC.”
According to the State Department, Bossa and Ibáñez Carranza ruled to authorise the ICC’s investigation into the conduct of US personnel in Afghanistan, while Alapini-Gansou and Hohler approved the court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, then the defence minister.
The ICC told JNS that it "deplores" the sanctions and stands fully behind its personnel.
"These measures are a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 states parties from all corners of the globe," the court stated. "Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict. It only emboldens those who believe they can act with impunity."
In February, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on any ICC official attempting to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute US citizens or those of any US ally that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction or signed onto the court’s Rome Statute, including Israel.
The White House named Karim Khan, the court’s chief prosecutor, as the first target of those sanctions for his role in investigating Netanyahu, Gallant and Israel’s alleged commission of “war crimes” in Gaza.
Khan took indefinite leave in May amid an external investigation into allegations of sexual assault against him, which he denies.
The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Khan asked his accuser to drop her charges against him, so he could issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu – something which Khan has also denied.
He was also reported to be weighing up further arrest warrants against far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich before his suspension.
But the sanctions against Khan had reportedly ground the Israeli investigation to a halt.
“We do not take this step lightly,” stated Tammy Bruce, the State Department spokeswoman. “It reflects the seriousness of the threat we face from the ICC’s politicisation and abuse of power.”