The U.S. on Wednesday imposed sanctions on the four ICC judges or prosecutors in a new effort to hobble the tribunal, particularly over actions against Israel.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected the announcement of new designations for sanctions by the U.S. government against its Judges, Kimberly Prost (Canada), Nicolas Guillou (France), Nazhat Shameem Khan (Fiji), and Mame Mandiaye Niang (Senegal).
The global court said in a statement issued on its official website on Wednesday that the additional designations follow the earlier designation of four other judges and the ICC Prosecutor.
The U.S. on Wednesday imposed sanctions on the four ICC judges or prosecutors in a new effort to hobble the tribunal, particularly over actions against Israel.
“The Court is a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, using a term popular with President Donald Trump’s supporters, according to AFP.
Rubio said that the four people targeted by the tribunal based in The Hague had sought to investigate or prosecute nationals from the United States or Israel “without the consent of either nation".
Among the four is Judge Nicolas Guillou of France, who is presiding over a case in which an arrest warrant was issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In June, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on four judges from the ICC for what it has called its “illegitimate actions” targeting the United States and Israel.
The sanctions targeted Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia.
Trump ordered cabinet officials to draw up sanctions against the ICC after the court issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
They were accused of overseeing an Israeli offensive during the Gaza conflict that caused famine and included the commission of war crimes.
Two of the sanctioned judges authorised the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, and two authorised an ICC investigation into abuses by US personnel in Afghanistan.
The ICC in its statement on Wednesday said, “These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all regions.
“They constitute also an affront against the Court’s States Parties, the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world.”
The ICC noted that, as its President and Judiciary had stated before, as well as the Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute, “the Court stands firmly behind its personnel and victims of unimaginable atrocities.”
“The ICC will continue fulfilling its mandate, undeterred, in strict accordance with its legal framework as adopted by the States Parties and without regard to any restriction, pressure or threat,” the court maintained.
The Court called on States Parties and all those who share the values of humanity and the rule of law “to provide firm and consistent support to the Court and its work carried out in the sole interest of victims of international crimes.”
