International authorities intensify penalties against judges of the International Criminal Court
The United States government has escalated its actions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, imposing sanctions on eight judges and prosecutors from France, Canada, Senegal, and Fiji. The sanctions, announced by the US State Department in Washington, are in response to "violations against the United States and Israel," according to the department.
The ICC prosecutes the most serious crimes, such as war crimes, and can issue arrest warrants that are valid in all 120 states that have signed the Rome Statute. However, neither the US nor Israel is a signatory to the treaty.
The targeted individuals include a French judge, a Canadian judge, and two prosecutors from Senegal and Fiji. The US government's actions against the ICC have been sharply criticized by the US, a close ally of Israel. The US government's sanctions freeze any assets the targets may have in the US, according to the State Department.
In November, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu welcomed the US sanctions against the ICC, while the US State Department in Washington announced sanctions against more judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court.
The preferred method of the US government's actions against the ICC is the imposition of sanctions against individuals. This brings the total number of ICC judges targeted by US sanctions to eight. In early June, the US administration imposed sanctions on four ICC judges.
The ICC subsequently described the US sanctions as a "clear attempt" to undermine the independence of the Hague court. In Germany, no persons have been directly linked or named in connection with the new US sanctions against judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court.
The US government, under Donald Trump, has been increasingly critical of the ICC, with the administration arguing that the court is biased against the US and its allies. The US has threatened to withdraw funding from the ICC and has warned that it could take measures against countries that cooperate with the court.
The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The court is independent and impartial, and its mandate is to ensure that those responsible for the most serious crimes are held accountable. The US has long been critical of the ICC's jurisdiction over American citizens and military personnel, arguing that it infringes on US sovereignty.
The sanctions against the ICC judges and prosecutors are the latest in a series of actions taken by the US government against the court. It remains to be seen how the ICC will respond to the US sanctions and whether other countries will follow suit in supporting the court's independence.
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
