International Judges of the International Criminal Court Face Penalties by U.S. - Imposed Penalties on Judges of the Criminal Court by the US
The United States has imposed new sanctions on four senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on August 20, 2025. The sanctioned individuals include Judges Kimberly Prost (Canada) and Nicolas Guillou (France), and Deputy Prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan (Fiji) and Mame Mandiaye Niang (Senegal).
These measures, authorized under Executive Order No. 14203 and relying on the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), freeze any property under US jurisdiction, bar financial dealings, and impose travel restrictions on them. The sanctions were imposed in response to the ICC's investigations into alleged war crimes involving Israeli officials and US military and CIA personnel.
The ICC, the UN, and various international legal bodies have strongly condemned these sanctions. The ICC called the sanctions a “flagrant attack on judicial independence,” while UN experts described them as a devastating blow to victims worldwide. The International Bar Association (IBA) called on all ICC States Parties to protect the Court from such political interference.
The US government's actions have been met with criticism and controversy. The ICC has been pursuing the most serious crimes, such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, since 2002. However, it is not a signatory to the treaty ratified by the US, EU countries, Israel, and Russia. In the past, the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, accused the court of politicization and disregarding the sovereignty of the United States.
It should be noted that all EU countries are members of the ICC, while the US, Israel, and Russia are not signatories. The sanctions imposed during Donald Trump's first term were in response to the ICC investigation into alleged war crimes by US soldiers in Afghanistan. Biden later reversed the sanctions imposed during Trump's presidency.
The current status is that the United States has imposed sanctions on four senior ICC officials, causing continuing controversy and condemnation by the ICC, the UN, and legal civil society actors. The sanctions severely restrict the targeted ICC officials’ ability to act independently and travel freely, reflecting ongoing tensions over the ICC’s jurisdiction and investigations involving US and Israeli nationals.
References: 1. CNN 2. BBC News 3. The Guardian 4. Reuters 5. The New York Times
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
