Particularly prescient were the new sanctions, announced on Thursday by Sen. These sanctions are aimed at the four judges of the ICC for their actions, which they allege are harmful to the interest of the US and Israel. The ICC and the U.S. government have been on a collision course for over a year. These sanctions result from a host of other investigations the court has initiated.
The other three judges who were originally sanctioned are Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Luz del Carmen Ibañez Carranza (Peru), and Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou (Benin). Each of the judges implicated had been formally disciplined for their actions. Among these judges, two judges specifically authorized arrest warrants for Israeli officials Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant. At the same time, the other two of these judges greenlighted an ICC investigation into abuses by U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.
Rubio stated, “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 sanctions are a direct response of the U.S. government to the U.S. government’s assertion that these judicial proceedings violate its sovereignty and national security interests.
In reaction to these sanctions, the ICC denounced the move, declaring it “deplores” the new designations on its judges. The court stressed that these actions seek to erode its independence and intimidate the search for truth and justice for victims.
“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,” – ICC
The United States has already sanctioned Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor. This action had the most serious repercussions for him, including his email being deactivated and his bank accounts being frozen. In 2019, former President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing cabinet secretaries. He directed them to draw up punitive measures against the ICC after it announced investigations into U.S. and Israeli officials.
So far the ICC has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. This unprecedented move has escalated the United States’ ongoing conflict with the international judicial community. The U.S. government has warned Americans employed at the Hague-based court. They risk imminent arrest if they set foot back on US soil.
Our cover photo could be this James Goldston, a legal expert, denouncing the sanctions, as they undermine America’s stated defense of international justice.
“As a court of last resort, the ICC is the one place victims of the most serious crimes can turn to when other avenues have failed them in their search for truth and justice. These new designations of ICC judges threaten their hopes and embolden the perpetrators,” – James Goldston
The ICC’s unprecedented actions have drawn criticism from both domestic and international critics. Repetitions of these statements focus the blame on those who are pursuing accountability, but this doesn’t protect civilians in conflict zones.