The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on four judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking an unprecedented response to the court’s investigation into war crime allegations against U.S. forces in Afghanistan and its issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a statement made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, it was announced that the sanctions targeted Solomé Balungi Bossa from Uganda, Luz Del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza from Peru, Ren Adélaïde Sophie Alapini Gansu from Benin, and Beti Hoehler from Slovenia.
Rubio stated, “As judges at the ICC, these four have been actively involved in unlawful and baseless activities, targeting the United States and our close ally Israel. The ICC is politically motivated and falsely claims to have absolute authority to investigate, charge, and prosecute citizens of the U.S. and its allies.”
He further noted that Alapini Gansu and Hoehler had authorized the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. The ICC criticized this move as an attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial body that offers hope and justice to millions of victims of unimaginable atrocities.
Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, urged the United States to lift the sanctions on the four judges, stating that they contradict the rule of law. In a statement, Turk called for a reevaluation of these recent actions and their immediate suspension. He emphasized that attacks on judges for carrying out their judicial duties, both nationally and internationally, violate respect for the rule of law.
In support of the ICC, the European Union expressed its solidarity after the U.S. sanctions. Slovenia, a member of the EU, stated it would push Brussels to ensure that U.S. sanctions were not enforced in Europe.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen remarked on the platform X, “The ICC holds accountable those who commit the world’s gravest crimes, providing victims with a chance to voice their experiences. It must operate freely without pressure. We will always defend global justice and respect for international law.”
Antonio Costa, the President of the European Council, referred to the court as a cornerstone of international justice, affirming the need to safeguard its independence and integrity. Slovenia urged the EU to utilize its immunity law to prevent any European entity from complying with U.S. sanctions deemed illegal by Brussels.
The Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated via X, “In light of a citizen from an EU member state being placed on the sanctions list, Slovenia will propose the immediate activation of the immunity law.” Additionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his gratitude to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State for implementing sanctions against what he termed “politicized judges.”