Secretary of State Marco Rubio asserts the measures aim to protect U.S. and Israeli sovereignty against perceived illegitimate actions by the court.
**U.S. Imposes Sanctions on ICC Judges Over Investigations**
**U.S. Imposes Sanctions on ICC Judges Over Investigations**
In a significant move, the U.S. sanctions four ICC judges amid allegations related to military personnel.
The United States has announced sanctions against four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a rebuttal to the court’s actions regarding investigations of U.S. military personnel and the issuing of arrest warrants for Israeli officials. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement on Thursday, identifying the four judges from Uganda, Peru, Benin, and Slovenia.
This sanctions policy, which follows a similar action taken in February against ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, arises from the court’s involvement in war crime inquiries stemming from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Notably, the judges targeted had approved investigations into U.S. operations in Afghanistan as well as authorizing arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to reporters, Rubio asserted that the U.S. will take decisive measures to safeguard its sovereignty as well as that of its allies, including Israel, from what he describes as illegitimate actions by the ICC. Following this announcement, the judges’ assets based in the U.S. will be frozen, and American entities will be prohibited from conducting business with them.
The ICC, created by a treaty in 1998, has jurisdiction over serious international crimes such as war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. However, it lacks the power to enforce its rulings and heavily relies on cooperation from its member nations. With the U.S., Russia, China, India, and Israel not being part of this treaty, they typically reject the court’s authority, often ignoring its arrest warrants.
Rubio encouraged other nations that recognize the ICC to counter what he termed a “disgraceful attack” on the U.S. and Israel, calling for solidarity among its supporters.
This sanctions policy, which follows a similar action taken in February against ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, arises from the court’s involvement in war crime inquiries stemming from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Notably, the judges targeted had approved investigations into U.S. operations in Afghanistan as well as authorizing arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to reporters, Rubio asserted that the U.S. will take decisive measures to safeguard its sovereignty as well as that of its allies, including Israel, from what he describes as illegitimate actions by the ICC. Following this announcement, the judges’ assets based in the U.S. will be frozen, and American entities will be prohibited from conducting business with them.
The ICC, created by a treaty in 1998, has jurisdiction over serious international crimes such as war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. However, it lacks the power to enforce its rulings and heavily relies on cooperation from its member nations. With the U.S., Russia, China, India, and Israel not being part of this treaty, they typically reject the court’s authority, often ignoring its arrest warrants.
Rubio encouraged other nations that recognize the ICC to counter what he termed a “disgraceful attack” on the U.S. and Israel, calling for solidarity among its supporters.
