The International Criminal Court has strongly condemned new US sanctions targeting four of its senior officials, calling the move "a flagrant attack" on its independence.
On Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against two judges and two prosecutors from the ICC. He accused the court of being a "national security threat" and "an instrument of lawfare" against the US and Israel.
The sanctioned officials include French judge Nicolas Guillou, Canadian judge Kimberly Prost, and deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal. All four now have their US property and interests blocked under the new penalties.
Rubio specifically targeted Guillou for authorizing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The ICC issued these warrants over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel's war in Gaza.
The US State Department said Prost was sanctioned for investigating American personnel in Afghanistan, while Khan and Niang were penalized for "illegitimate actions against Israel."
Netanyahu welcomed the sanctions, calling them "a firm measure against the mendacious smear campaign against Israel. The Israeli leader has been facing ICC arrest warrants alongside his former defense minister.
France joined the ICC in denouncing the American move, expressing "dismay" over the sanctioning of its judge. The French foreign ministry criticized the decision as contradicting "the principle of an independent judiciary."
The ICC responded forcefully to the sanctions, stating they constitute "an affront against the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world."
This isn't the first time the US has targeted ICC officials. Earlier this year, America imposed similar restrictions on the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan KC, along with four other judges. The UN's human rights chief has demanded the US withdraw these sanctions, saying they run counter to "respect for the rule of law."
The US also sanctioned UN Human Rights Council special rapporteur Francesca Albanese in July. She's been a prominent critic of Israel's military offensive in Gaza. Gaza children are set to arrive in the UK for support in the coming weeks, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian impact of the conflict.
Albanese responded to her sanctioning by reposting support for the ICC on social media. She said she came from Italy, the court's founding country, where lawyers and judges had "defended justice at great cost and often with their own lives"
The International Criminal Court serves as a global tribunal with authority to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. It was established to ensure accountability when national courts can't or won't act.
The latest sanctions reflect deepening tensions between Washington and international legal institutions. The Trump administration has consistently opposed ICC investigations involving American personnel or close allies like Israel.
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