UN Says US Sanctions Against ICC Judges And Prosecutors Damage International Justice Foundation

JAKARTA - United Nations officials highlight the new United States sanctions against judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC), while France assesses the importance of their role in fighting impunity.

US President Donald Trump's administration on Wednesday imposed sanctions on two judges and two prosecutors at the ICC, as Washington's growing pressure on the court over targeting Israeli leaders and past decisions to investigate US officials.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the court a "national security threat that has become an instrument for legal war" against the United States and Israel.

Those who were sanctioned according to the State Department and the US Treasury were Nicolas Yann Guilu from France, Nazhat Shameem Khan from Fiji, Mame Mandiaye Niang from Senegal, and Kimberly Prost from Canada. They are known to be linked to cases related to Israel and the United States.

"The United States has taken a clear and steadfast stance in our opposition to the politicization of the ICC, the abuse of power, the neglect of our national sovereignty, and the expansion of illegal judicial authority," Foreign Minister Rubio said.

"I urge countries that still support the ICC, whose many freedoms were purchased with great American sacrifices, to reject claims by this bankrupt institution," he continued.

The move sparked outrage from France and the United Nations. Paris urged Washington to lift the sanctions, while the ICC expressed regret over the designation, calling it a "discrete attack" on the independence of an implicit judiciary.

Both France and the United Nations state that the workers' work is very important for international justice.

"Their role is very important in the fight against impunity," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

US sanctions undermine the foundations of international justice, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, adding: "The (US) decision provides heavy obstacles to the function of the prosecutor."

The designation freezes any US assets these individuals may have and breaks their access to the US financial system.

The second round of sanctions came less than three months after Washington took an unprecedented step by imposing sanctions on four different ICC judges. This escalation is likely to hinder the function of courts and prosecutors in handling major cases, including allegations of war crimes against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.

ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri last November on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict.

In March 2020, public prosecutors opened an investigation into Afghanistan that includes investigations into possible crimes by US forces. However, since 2021, the US role has been prioritized and focused on alleged crimes committed by the Afghan government and Taliban forces.

Guillelou is the judge of the ICC who led the pretrial panel that issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. Khan and Niang were two deputy prosecutors at the court.

Meanwhile, Canadian Judge Kimberly Prost served in the ICC appeals panel which, in March 2020, unanimously authorized the ICC prosecutor to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Afghanistan since 2003, including examining the role of US military members.

Meanwhile, responding to Foreign Minister Rubio's call to other countries to oppose his institution, the ICC urged member states to show solidarity.

"The ICC calls on State-Party and all parties with humanitarian values and the rule of law to provide firm and consistent support to the ICC and its work carried out solely in the interests of victims of international crime," the ICC statement said.

It is known that the ICC, which was founded in 2002, has international jurisdictions to try cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in member states or if a situation is referred to by the UN Security Council.

Although the ICC has jurisdictions over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 125 member states, some countries, including the US, China, Russia, and Israel, do not recognize their authority.

The ICC is investigating high-level war crimes related to the Israeli-Hamas conflict, as well as in Sudan, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Venezuela.