Trump administration imposes fresh sanctions on ICC officials
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the State Department in Washington, D.C, last week. Photo: Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration announced fresh sanctions on International Criminal Court officials on Wednesday and accused the ICC of being a "national security threat" and "instrument for lawfare" against the U.S. and Israel.
The big picture: The intergovernmental organization and international tribunal, in a statement, called the latest U.S. sanctions that affect two judges and two prosecutors "a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution."
Driving the news: Rubio said in a statement posted to the State Department's website that the sanctions were in response to "the ICC's Ongoing Threat to Americans and Israelis."
- The sanctioned officials "directly engaged" in ICC efforts "to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of either nation."
- The latest penalties that effectively freeze assets and bar officials from entering the U.S. affect ICC judges Kimberly Prost of Canada and Nicolas Guillou of France, and prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal, according to the statement.
State of play: President Trump first imposed sanctions on ICC officials in a February executive order, about three months after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza.
- In June, Rubio announced sanctions on four ICC judges over the arrest warrants and also due to the court's investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan.
- Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognizes the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Zoom in: "Prost is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC's investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan," per a State Department statement.
- Guillou was targeted for ruling to authorize the ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, while the statement said Shameem Khan and Niang were being designated "for continuing to support illegitimate ICC actions against Israel." This included the upholding of the arrest warrants.
What they're saying: The ICC, in its statement, said the new sanctions constituted "an affront against the Court's States Parties, the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world."
Go deeper: Senate Dems block ICC sanctions bill in Schumer-urged show of unity
