In a historic move, President Donald Trump’s administration has imposed sanctions on four judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing their involvement in cases targeting U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Israeli officials over alleged war crimes.
The Trump administration on Thursday imposed sanctions on four judges serving at the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating tensions over the tribunal’s investigations into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan and its arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions, naming Judges Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia.
“As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel,” Rubio said in a statement. “The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies.”
The ICC strongly condemned the move, calling it an assault on the court’s independence. “This is a deliberate attempt to undermine an international judicial institution that stands for justice and provides hope to victims of unimaginable atrocities,” the court said in response.
Judges Bossa and Carranza have served on the ICC bench since 2018. In 2020, they were part of an appeals chamber that authorized a formal investigation into possible war crimes by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Judges Alapini Gansou and Hohler played a key role in issuing the ICC’s controversial arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu, former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Ibrahim Al-Masri over actions during the recent Gaza conflict.
This latest round of sanctions builds on earlier confrontations between the Trump administration and the ICC. In 2020, the administration imposed sanctions on then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and one of her aides, also over investigations related to Afghanistan.
The sanctions will restrict the judges’ access to financial systems tied to the United States, making routine banking transactions difficult. However, the U.S. Treasury Department issued general licenses allowing wind-down transactions until July 8, provided payments are directed to blocked, interest-bearing accounts in the U.S.
Critics say the move risks further isolating the U.S. from the international legal community, while supporters argue it protects American sovereignty and allies from what they see as politically motivated prosecutions.
Four Palestinians, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Monday (8 June), according to local health officials...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission...
Flights from Shiraz's main airport have been cancelled until 20:00 local time, according to Iranian media, as Iran and Israel continue exchanging stri...
Kazakhstan will require major businesses to introduce five-year water-saving plans as authorities warn that worsening shortages could threaten not onl...
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 32 people and triggering tsunami war...
Four Palestinians, including an eight-year-old boy, were killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza on Monday (8 June), according to local health officials, as mediators continued efforts to preserve a fragile ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Kazakhstan will require major businesses to introduce five-year water-saving plans as authorities warn that worsening shortages could threaten not only the environment but also the country's economy.
A powerful earthquake struck off the southern Philippine island of Mindanao on Monday (8 June), killing at least 32 people and triggering tsunami warnings across the region.
Counting is underway in Armenia's elections. The results of the vote are set to determine the political direction of the country of three million people for the next few years. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is hoping to fend off challenges from several pro-Russia candidates to secure a third term.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's party is on course for victory, with Armenian media reporting that the country's Central Election Commission has completed the vote count in the parliamentary elections. An official announcement is still expected.
Armenian authorities arrested six candidates from the pro-Russian Strong Armenia bloc on Saturday, one day before voters were due to take part in parliamentary elections.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the number of casualties its citizens suffered as a result of the 5 June drone attacks on the cargo ships Natra and Zircon in the Sea of Azov. In a statement, it said four Azerbaijani citizens were killed and four others were injured.
The results of Armenia’s parliamentary elections will determine the makeup of the National Assembly and shape the country's political direction for the foreseeable future. But in Armenia, the final result is not decided by vote percentages alone. Here's how it works.
A French Rafale fighter jet shot down a drone that entered Latvian airspace from Russia on Monday (8 June), triggering security alerts and renewing concerns about the impact of the war in Ukraine on NATO's eastern flank.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome as he described relations between the two countries as being at a "new historical starting point".
Football fans of all ages gathered in Miami Beach for a World Cup sticker trading event, exchanging duplicates and comparing Panini albums as they prepared for the tournament's opening match.
A city north of Tokyo has suspended classes at all 94 of its primary and middle schools after its first-ever reported bear sighting, amid growing concern over increasing encounters between bears and people across Japan.
A Turkish fishing vessel rescued migrants from a boat in distress in international waters off Malta on Sunday (7 June), after the overcrowded craft capsized in the central Mediterranean.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment