The administration of President Donald Trump on Thursday imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking an extraordinary escalation in its confrontation with the world’s top war crimes tribunal. The move comes in response to the ICC’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its past investigations into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Judges Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza (Peru), Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou (Benin), and Beti Hohler (Slovenia) had been designated for sanctions. These individuals, Rubio stated, were complicit in what he called the ICC’s “illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel.”
“The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies,” Rubio said in a statement.
ICC Pushback and International Outcry
According to Reuters, the International Criminal Court condemned the sanctions, characterizing them as a direct attempt to undermine the independence of a court that serves as a vital institution for justice in the face of atrocities.
The decision was met with immediate criticism from human rights advocates. Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said the measures were a “flagrant attack on the rule of law at the same time as President Trump is working to undercut it at home.”
Judges’ Roles in Controversial Cases
Judges Bossa and Ibanez Carranza have served on the ICC bench since 2018 and were involved in a 2020 appeals chamber ruling that authorized a formal investigation into possible war crimes committed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan. That investigation has since shifted focus toward alleged crimes by Afghan government forces and the Taliban.
Judges Alapini Gansou and Hohler played a role in authorizing arrest warrants issued in November against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, former Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri. The ICC alleges the men committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict.
A Continuation of Trump’s ICC Offensive
This is not the first time Trump has targeted the ICC. In 2020, during his first term, the administration sanctioned then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and a senior aide over similar objections to the Afghanistan investigation.
The latest measures also come amid domestic political momentum against the ICC. In January, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution calling for punitive action in response to the court’s warrant for Netanyahu. The resolution highlighted broad Republican support for Israel and skepticism of the ICC’s authority.
Economic Impact and Legal Ramifications
The sanctions severely restrict the judges’ financial capabilities, effectively cutting them off from any U.S.-connected banking systems. Under the sanctions, financial institutions dealing in U.S. dollars are expected to comply, making even routine transactions difficult for those targeted.
However, the U.S. Treasury Department issued a general license permitting the wind-down of existing financial arrangements with the sanctioned individuals through July 8, provided that any payments go to a blocked, interest-bearing account located in the United States.
Tensions at a Tumultuous Time for the ICC
The sanctions come at a time of significant upheaval within the ICC. Its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, temporarily stepped aside last month amid a United Nations investigation into alleged sexual misconduct. Khan himself had already been sanctioned by the Trump administration.
Founded in 2002, the ICC is tasked with prosecuting genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It has active investigations into conflicts in Israel and Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, Myanmar, the Philippines, Venezuela, and Afghanistan.
Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC. Both countries, along with Russia and China, reject the court’s jurisdiction. Nonetheless, the ICC has issued high-profile arrest warrants, including for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the deportation of Ukrainian children, and for Netanyahu over the Gaza conflict.
