US sanctions ICC judges for legal actions against persons indicted for war crimes

US sanctions four ICC judges over legal actions against persons from US and Israel indicted for war crimes

The Trump administration announced sanctions on Thursday against four judges from the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision was in response to what he described as the court’s “illegal actions” against both the United States and Israel.

Marco Rubio, Secretary of State, statement on June 5, 2025, said in part:

Today, I am designating Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia pursuant to President Trump’s Executive Order 14203, “Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court.” These individuals directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without consent from the United States or Israel.  Neither the United States nor Israel is party to the Rome Statute. 

As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel. The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies. This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel. 

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. 

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. 

EU reaffirms support for ICC after Trump sanctions judges

The European Union (EU) firmly backs the International Criminal Court (ICC), the leader of the bloc's top political body announced today, following the Trump administration’s decision to impose sanctions on four ICC judges over actions targeting Israel and the US.

Antonio Costa, president of the European Council stated that the court is "a cornerstone of international justice" and emphasized that its independence and integrity must be safeguarded.

Legal scholars's Reaction to US sanctions: "an attack on rule of law"

U.S. sanctions against ICC judges are widely viewed as an attack on the rule of law because they undermine judicial independence and attempt to delegitimize an international court tasked with prosecuting the world’s gravest crimes. By targeting judges personally for carrying out lawful investigations, such actions echo authoritarian tactics and weaken global norms around accountability and justice. While the U.S. defends the move as protecting national sovereignty—citing its non-membership in the ICC and concerns about jurisdiction and bias—many legal experts argue that sanctioning legal officials for performing their duties sets a dangerous precedent and erodes respect for international legal institutions.

  

UN human rights chief calls for US to withdraw sanctions on ICC judges