Secretary of State Marco Rubio slapped four judges on the International Criminal Court with sanctions on Thursday over their efforts “to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without consent from the United States or Israel.”
The antagonistic efforts on the parts of the judges — Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia — are particularly provocative since the court has no jurisdiction over either country, as neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member of the court or party to the Rome Statute, which founded the court in 2002.
“The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies,” Rubio said in a statement. “This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel.”
The sanctions are in accordance with President Donald Trump’s February executive order titled “Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court,” in which he indicated the U.S. will “impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions.”
In the order, Trump noted that the ICC has engaged in “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting America and Israel; has unlawfully asserted jurisdiction over and launched probes concerning American personnel; and has “abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.”
The ICC issued arrest warrants for the two Israelis in November, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes — including starvation as a method of warfare, murder, and persecution — allegedly committed between Oct. 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024.
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Numerous Western officials said that they would implement the warrants, including then-EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell Fontelles, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris, and Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide.
Trump said that the ICC’s endeavor to have officials from non-member nations arrested “set a dangerous precedent,” in part by threatening to infringe on the sovereignty of the U.S. and Israel and undermining both nations’ national security and foreign policy work.
‘The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty.’
The State Department indicated in its announcement of the sanctions against the four ICC judges that the agency does “not take this step lightly” and that it “reflects the seriousness of the threat we face from the ICC’s politicization and abuse of power.”
The ICC condemned the actions, claiming they constitute “a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all corners of the globe.”
“Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict. It only emboldens those who believe they can act with impunity,” continued the ICC. “These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, they also target all those who support the Court, including nationals and corporate entities of States Parties.”
Blaze News reached out to the State Department for comment on the ICC’s characterization of the sanctions but did not immediately receive a reply.
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Photo by JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP via Getty Images
As a result of the Trump administration’s sanctions, the judges’ property and interests in property in the U.S. or in the control of American persons will be blocked and reported to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. Similarly, any entities directly or indirectly owned by the judges will also be blocked.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Trump and Rubio, stating, “You have justly stood up for the right of Israel, the United States, and all democracies to defend themselves against savage terror.”
“The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other U.S. ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC,” said Rubio. “I call on the countries that still support the ICC, many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American sacrifices, to fight this disgraceful attack on our nation and Israel.”
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Marco rubio, State department, International criminal court, Icc, War crimes, Gaza, Israel, Netanyahu, Donald trump, Trump administration, Sanctions, Politics
