The Trump administration issued sanctions against four International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, citing “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the U.S. and Israel.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against four ICC judges — Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia — who authorized arrest warrants for Israeli officials, and supported investigations targeting U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. In a press release, Rubio described these actions as an “abuse of power” and accused the judges of being politically motivated.

“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,” Rubio said in a statement. “This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringe upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: DOJ Warns Of Rising ‘Deadly’ Antisemitism Over Anti-Israel Group’s Calls For Bloodshed)

Bossa and Ibanez Carranza approved the formal investigation into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The other two judges — Gansou and Hohler — ruled to authorize the arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 after determining that both men committed war crimes while overseeing Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.

“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,” Rubio said.

The ICC quickly fired back by saying that it “deplores” the Trump administration’s actions.

“These measures are a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution,” the ICC said in a statement. “The ICC stands fully behind its personnel, and will continue its work undeterred, in strict accordance with the Rome Statute and the principles of fairness and due process, with a view to bringing justice to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.”

The United Nations human rights chief, Volker Türk, also called for the “prompt reconsideration and withdrawal” of the sanctions against the ICC, arguing that they “run directly counter to respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law—values for which the U.S. has long stood.”

Critics have noted that, as of December 2024, Türk has condemned the U.S. more than he has condemned all of China, North Korea, Cuba, Saudi Arabia and Qatar combined, and that he has never mentioned Beijing’s imprisonment of Uyghur Muslims.

A majority of House Democrats in January voted against legislation that would sanction the ICC for its arrest warrants against Israel’s leadership.

In contrast, former President Joe Biden called the ICC’s arrest warrants “outrageous” following the court’s decision, saying, “whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.”

Neither the Department of State nor the ICC responded to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

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The European Union “deeply regrets” the United States sanctions placed on four judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC), European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday announced sanctions on four judges whom the US accuses of taking “illegitimate and baseless actions” against the US and its allies.

Responding to the announcement on Friday, von der Leyen said the Hague-based court had the “full support” of the EU.

“The ICC holds perpetrators of the world’s gravest crimes to account & gives victims a voice,” von der Leyen said on X on Friday. “It must be free to act without pressure.”

United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said he was “profoundly disturbed” by the US decision.

“Attacks against judges for performance of their judicial functions, at national or international levels, run directly counter to respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law – values for which the US has long stood,” Turk said.

“Such attacks are deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice,” he added, calling for the sanctions to be withdrawn.

Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, which represents national governments of the 27 EU member states, also called the court “a cornerstone of international justice” and said its independence and integrity must be protected.

The Commission fully supports the @IntlCrimCourt & its officials. The ICC holds perpetrators of the world’s gravest crimes to account & gives victims a voice. It must be free to act without pressure. We will always stand for global justice & the respect of international law. — Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 6, 2025

The US State Department said the sanctions were issued after the court made decisions to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a separate decision in 2020 to open an investigation into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.

The four sanctioned judges include Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia.

EU member Slovenia said it “rejects pressure on judicial institutions” and urged the EU to use its blocking statute.

“Due to the inclusion of a citizen of an EU member state on the sanctions list, Slovenia will propose the immediate activation of the blocking act,” Slovenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on X.

The mechanism lets the EU ban European companies from complying with US sanctions that Brussels deems unlawful. The power has been used in the past to prevent Washington from banning European trade with Cuba and Iran.

Slovenia regrets the announced sanctions by the US🇺🇸 government against 4 judges of the @IntlCrimCourt , including a judge from #Slovenia. SI🇸🇮 rejects pressure on judicial institutions and influence on judicial operations, and courts must act in the interests of law and justice.… pic.twitter.com/xhwBj8XeMz — MFEA Slovenia (@MZEZ_RS) June 5, 2025

The US sanctions mean the judges are added to a list of specially designated sanctioned individuals. Any US assets they have will be blocked and they are put on an automated screening service used not only by US banks but by many banks worldwide, making it very difficult for sanctioned people to hold or open bank accounts or transfer money.

This is not the first time the US has issued restrictions against an ICC official since Trump returned to office for a second term on January 20.

Shortly after taking office, Trump issued a broad executive order threatening anyone who participates in ICC investigations with sanctions. Critics warned that such sweeping language could pervert the course of justice, for example, by dissuading witnesses from coming forward with evidence.

But Trump argued that the 2024 arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant necessitated such measures.

He also claimed that the US and Israel were “thriving democracies” that “strictly adhere to the laws of war” and that the ICC’s investigations threatened military members with “harassment, abuse and possible arrest”.

The United States announced Thursday that it has imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court, escalating tensions over the court’s recent actions targeting US and Israeli officials, AFP reported.

The sanctions came in response to the ICC’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as investigations into alleged war crimes by US forces in Afghanistan.

The measures include entry bans and the freezing of any property or financial interests the judges may have within the United States.

“The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other US 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,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The court swiftly hit back, saying in a statement, “These measures are a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all corners of the globe.”

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the US decision, thanking President Donald Trump and Rubio in a social media post for what he described as standing up for Israel against a politicised tribunal.

“Thank you President Trump and Secretary of State Rubio for imposing sanctions against the politicised judges of the ICC. You have justly stood up for the right of Israel,” he wrote on Friday.

Human Rights Watch criticised the sanctions, warning they are intended to intimidate the court amid increasing scrutiny over the situation in Gaza and US involvement in past conflicts.

The sanctions “aim to deter the ICC from seeking accountability amid grave crimes committed in Israel and Palestine and as Israeli atrocities mount in Gaza, including with US complicity,” said the rights group’s international justice director, Liz Evenson.

Two of the judges, Beti Hohler of Slovenia and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin, were involved in the case that led to Netanyahu’s arrest warrant.

The ICC found “reasonable grounds” to hold both Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant criminally responsible for alleged war crimes, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.

The other two judges, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru and Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, were part of proceedings authorizing an investigation into possible war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan.

Neither the US nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC in 2002.

However, many of Washington’s key allies including the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Korea are signatories and could theoretically be required to cooperate with the court, including executing arrest warrants.

The move marked a return to hardline policies from the Trump administration. During his first term, Trump sanctioned the ICC’s chief prosecutor over the Afghanistan probe.

Those sanctions were later lifted under President Joe Biden, who adopted a more collaborative approach, including supporting ICC investigations into Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

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

The sanctions are in response to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and its investigation into alleged US war crimes in Afghanistan.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions on Thursday, for what he described as the “illegitimate” targeting of Israel and the US.

Volker Türk said in a statement that “attacks against judges” run directly counter to “respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law – values for which the US has long stood”.

The UN’s human rights chief has demanded the US government withdraw sanctions it imposed on four judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Türk said he was “profoundly disturbed” by the sanctions and called for their “prompt reconsideration and withdrawal”.

The four judges named are all women: Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia.

The ICC has responded in a statement, saying it “deplores” the sanctions, which were “a clear attempt to undermine” its independence.

The measures require all property and interests owned by the judges in the US to be blocked and reported to the Treasury department.

Netanyahu thanked Rubio and US President Donald Trump for the intervention, saying they had “stood up for the right of Israel”.

Rubio accused the judges of “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting Israel and the US in a statement.

He also described the ICC as “politicised” and said it “falsely claims unfettered discretion” to investigate nationals of the US and its allies.

“This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel,” Rubio added.

In its response, the ICC said it “stands fully behind its personnel” and will continue its work “undeterred”.

“Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict,” the court said.

“These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, they also target all those who support the Court… They are aimed against innocent victims in all situations before the Court.”

The ICC is a global court with the power to bring prosecutions for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Last year, it issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel’s former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

An arrest warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif was also issued, but Hamas later confirmed he had been killed in an airstrike.

The judges said there were “reasonable grounds” the three men bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the war between Israel and Hamas.

Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.

In February, Trump imposed economic sanctions against the ICC, including against its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, saying the court had “abused its power”.

In Thursday’s announcement, the US State Department said two of the judges, Bossa and Ibáñez Carranza, had authorised the ICC’s investigation against US personnel in Afghanistan.

The other two judges, Alapini Gansou and Hohler, had ruled to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

The U.S. State Department sanctioned International Criminal Court judges Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz Del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou from Benin (pictured here) as well as Beti Hohler of Slovenia. File Photo by Sem Van Der Wal/EPA-EFE

June 6 (UPI) — The United States on Thursday sanctioned four International Criminal Court Judges, citing investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and Israeli leaders.

The State Department announced the sanctions against Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz Del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou from Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia over what it described as the court’s effort to “arrest, detain or prosecute a protected person without consent of that person’s country of nationality.”

“We do not take this step lightly,” the State Department statement said. “It reflects the seriousness of the threat we face from the ICC’s politicization and abuse of power.”

The State Department noted that Bossa and Ibanez Carranza had authorized an investigation against U.S. personnel in Afghanistan, while Alapini Gansou and Hohler authorized warrants to arrest Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

Neither the United States nor Israel recognize the authority of the International Criminal Court.

“As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions, targeting America or our close ally, Israel,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio wrote in a statement. “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.”

The sanctions impose a block on “all property and interests in property” of the aforementioned judges, and American citizens are also forbidden, as per the order, from doing any business with the four judges, unless they’ve been issued a precise license issued by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control or are exempt.

The Assembly of States Parties, which serves as the management oversight and legislative body of the ICC, announced Friday in a press release that it rejects the orders put forth by Trump and Rubio.

“Such actions risk undermining global efforts to ensure accountability for the gravest crimes of concern to the international community and erode the shared commitment to the rule of law, the fight against impunity, and the preservation of a rules-based international order,” it said.

European Union Council President Antonio Costa said via social media Friday that the EU “strongly supports” the ICC.

“We must protect its independence and integrity. The rule of law must prevail over the rule of power,” he said.

The sanctions follow an executive order from Trump issued in February that considered “any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute protected persons” a threat to American national security and foreign policy, and declared economic sanctions against the ICC.

The order’s measures include the blocking of property and assets, and the suspension of entry to the United States of ICC officials, employees and agents, as well as their immediate family members.