The United States has increased its pressure on the International Criminal Court (ICC) over its prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, placing penalties on a French judge and others involved in the court’s investigations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio imposed sanctions on French Judge Nicolas Guillou, who is presided over a case in which the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest order for Netanyahu.
Kimberly Prost, a Canadian judge, was also sanctioned in a separate case involving alleged war crimes in Afghanistan.
Two deputy prosecutors, Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal, were also disciplined.
Rubio referred to the ICC as “a national security threat” and claimed it had become “an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel.” He criticized the court for examining US and Israeli people without the agreement of either government.
France, whose President Emmanuel Macron had visited Washington two days before, voiced “dismay” at the measures. A foreign ministry official stated that the move was “in contradiction to the principle of an independent judiciary.”
The ICC described the sanctions as a “flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.”
The court has alleged that Netanyahu is responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel’s offensive in Gaza, including by intentionally targeting civilians and using starvation as a method of war.
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Israel launched its military campaign in response to a Hamas attack in which mostly civilians were killed.
The ICC has also sought the arrest of former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who has since been confirmed killed by Israel.
Judge Guillou has previously taken part in trials related to Kosovo and Lebanon.
He also worked for several years in the United States assisting the Justice Department with judicial cooperation during the Obama administration.
Under the US sanctions, Guillou will be barred from entering the United States and any assets he holds in the country will be blocked.
The Trump administration had also imposed sanctions on ICC officials and rejected the court’s authority. Rubio had earlier imposed sanctions on four other ICC judges in June.
The State Department said the two deputy prosecutors were sanctioned for supporting “illegitimate ICC actions against Israel,” including supporting the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
Judge Prost of Canada was involved in a case that authorized an investigation into suspected crimes committed during the Afghan war, notably by US troops.
The United States, Russia, and Israel are not parties to the International Criminal Court. Trump recently welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska, despite an arrest order issued by the International Criminal Court for his role in the Ukraine invasion.
Former President Joe Biden’s administration has also resisted ICC action against Israel, eased previous restrictions, and permitted limited cooperation with the court, including the acquisition of evidence relating to Ukraine.
