WASHINGTON/PARIS: The United States has deepened its clash with the International Criminal Court (ICC), announcing sanctions against judges and prosecutors involved in cases against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that the measures target French judge Nicolas Guillou, who is overseeing the case in which the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Canadian judge Kimberly Prost was also sanctioned for her role in authorizing investigations into alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan. Two deputy prosecutors — Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal — were similarly penalized.
The sanctions impose asset freezes and travel bans. France condemned the move, saying it was “dismayed” and calling it a violation of judicial independence. The ICC also denounced the sanctions as a “flagrant attack” on an impartial institution.
Netanyahu welcomed Washington’s action, thanking Rubio for a “decisive act against lies and smear campaigns” targeting Israel and its military. The ICC has accused Netanyahu of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s Gaza offensive. Arrest warrants have also been issued for former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who Israel says has been killed.
Judge Guillou, now sanctioned, has previously worked on international trials in Kosovo and Lebanon and once assisted the US Justice Department during the Obama years. Rubio had earlier sanctioned four ICC judges in June.
The US move mirrors the Trump administration’s hostility toward the ICC, which imposed similar measures before President Biden rolled them back to allow limited cooperation, particularly in Ukraine-related cases.
The announcement comes just days after President Donald Trump hosted Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Alaska, despite the ICC’s outstanding warrant against him over the invasion of Ukraine.
