The United States is making headlines with a stern response to actions by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared on Thursday that the U.S. would impose sanctions on four judges from the ICC for their ongoing investigations concerning U.S. military personnel and arrest warrants for high-profile Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The judges facing these sanctions are Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. Rubio’s statement outlined how these judges had authorized the ICC's investigations into U.S. actions in Afghanistan and issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials, which the U.S. deemed illegitimate.
These sanctions follow similar actions taken in February, where the U.S. penalized Karim Khan, the ICC's chief prosecutor, for pursuing a case against Israel regarding its operations in Gaza. Notably, the U.S. and Israel have never been members of the ICC and have consistently pushed back against its authority, especially concerning military-related allegations.
Under the new sanctions, the U.S. will block any U.S.-based assets of the affected judges and prohibit Americans from conducting business with them. Rubio emphasized that the U.S. will vigorously protect its sovereignty and that of its allies from the ICC's actions.
Established in 1998, the ICC is a global court designed to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity, dependent on member states to enforce its rulings. However, many powerful nations, including the United States and Israel, do not recognize its authority, raising questions about the effectiveness of such international legal mechanisms.
Rubio concluded by urging nations that support the ICC to oppose what he termed a “disgraceful attack” on the U.S. and Israel, reflecting the tension between global judicial efforts and national sovereignty.
