The United States has escalated its campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) by announcing a new round of sanctions targeting key members of the court.
This move comes in the wake of the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over allegations of war crimes in Gaza.
In a statement released on Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared the sanctions, which specifically target two judges and two prosecutors of the ICC.
Rubio asserted that the ICC poses a national security threat, describing it as an instrument of lawfare aimed against both the United States and its ally, Israel.
The ICC had issued warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in relation to actions in Gaza.
In response to the US sanctions, the ICC condemned the action as a “flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution,” emphasizing its commitment to pursuing justice for victims of war crimes worldwide despite external pressures.
Netanyahu praised the sanctions, interpreting them as a decisive measure against what he called a smear campaign against Israel.
The newly sanctioned individuals include Kimberly Prost of Canada, Nicolas Guillou of France, Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji, and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.
Notably, Guillou is an ICC judge who played a role in the pre-trial panel that issued the arrest warrant for Netanyahu, while Khan and Niang serve as deputy prosecutors at the court.
The US Department of State specified that the sanctions are due to the involvement of these individuals in the proceedings related to the Israeli arrest warrants.
The ICC is currently investigating possible war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan. However, it has indicated that it will prioritize its investigations into allegations of abuses by the Taliban and ISIS following significant pushback from the US.
Prost, one of the sanctioned officials, was targeted for her decision to authorize the ICC’s investigation into US personnel involved in Afghanistan.
While neither the US nor Israel is a member state of the ICC, the court asserts its jurisdiction based on the fact that the alleged crimes occurred in countries that are signatories to the court.
Historically, the US has been critical of the ICC, concerned about the potential for its officials to face prosecution for alleged war crimes.
However, previous administrations have refrained from taking the drastic step of imposing sanctions against ICC officials.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration enacted an initial set of sanctions against several ICC officials, a move that faced widespread condemnation for undermining international law and the court’s credibility in protecting justice.
US officials have accused the ICC of engaging in what they deem “illegitimate and baseless actions” against Israel and the US.
The fact that two of the sanctioned individuals are from France and Canada is particularly noteworthy as both nations, along with others, recently announced recognition of a Palestinian state in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza and land seizures in the occupied West Bank.
In reaction to the US sanctions, the French Foreign Ministry emphasized the essential role played by judges in the fight against impunity within international justice, while UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric cited the sanctions as severely impeding the functioning of the prosecutor’s office.
This latest round of sanctions illustrates the ongoing tensions between the US and the ICC, particularly concerning accountability for war crimes in conflict zones.
image source from：aljazeera
