U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the ICC as 'a national security threat that has been an instrument of lawfare' against the United States and Israel.
The officials sanctioned include Canadian Judge Kimberly Prost, who approved the court's investigation into alleged war crimes by U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and French Judge Nicolas Yann Guillou, who authorised arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal were also sanctioned for supporting the warrants.
Netanyahu welcomed the U.S. move, calling it a 'firm measure against the mendacious smear campaign' targeting Israel. Washington emphasised that neither the U.S. nor Israel recognises ICC jurisdiction. The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets held by the four officials and bar them from access to the American financial system.
The ICC condemned the designations as 'a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution,' stressing that the sanctions threaten the court's ability to function and undermining global justice.
France also criticised the sanctions, with its Foreign Ministry stating they contradicted the principles of an independent judiciary. United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned that the U.S. measures could 'impose severe impediments on the functioning of the office of the prosecutor.'
This latest action follows a previous round of sanctions earlier this year, which targeted ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan KC and four judges over cases involving U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. Rubio said the United States remains 'steadfast in our opposition to the ICC's politicisation, abuse of power, and illegitimate judicial overreach.'
The ICC, established in 2002, prosecutes genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in its 125 member states or when referred by the U.N. Security Council. Its current high-profile investigations include the Israel-Hamas conflict, as well as cases in Sudan, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Venezuela.
While the court has jurisdiction over member states, major countries, including the U.S., Israel, Russia, and China do not recognise its authority.
In response to the sanctions, the ICC urged member states to continue supporting the court and its work, which it said is carried out solely in the interest of victims of international crimes.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
