Trump expands sanctions against ICC officials over Israel, U.S. investigations
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Trump administration sanctions 4 ICC officials in new ‘flagrant attack’
The new sanctions were announced by the International Court of Justice. They come after the court issued an arrest warrant for two of its members. The warrants were issued for alleged crimes against humanity. The court said it would continue to take action to protect the public from the actions of the officials. The U.S. and Israel are the only two countries to have issued the arrest warrants. The other two countries are Canada and Senegal.
The sanctions were immediately denounced by the ICC as a “flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution” and “an affront against the Court’s states parties, the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world”.
The United Nations also gave its full support.
“We firmly believe that the ICC is a key pillar of international criminal justice, and we respect their work,” UN spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, said. “The decision imposes severe impediments on the functioning of the office of the prosecutor in respect for all the situations that are currently before the court.”
In November, the Hague-based court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence secretary Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The sanctions on four ICC officials, including two judges and two prosecutors, comes after the US has already imposed penalties on the ICC’s former chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who stepped aside in May pending an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct – as well as four other judges.
The new penalties target ICC judges Kimberly Prost of Canada and Nicolas Guillou of France and prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.
“These individuals are foreign persons who directly engaged in efforts by the international criminal court to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of either nation,” US secretary of state, Marco Rubio said.
He added that the administration would continue “to take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our troops, our sovereignty and our allies from the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions”.
US sanctions international court judges over Netanyahu arrest warrant
US sanctions judge Nicolas Guillou of France, who is presiding over a case in which the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. A Canadian judge, Kimberly Prost, was also sanctioned in a separate case related to alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. Two deputy prosecutors, Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal, were also sanctioned. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the ICC as “a national security threat” and said the court had become “an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel” The ICC called the sanctions a “flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against Judge Nicolas Guillou of France, who is presiding over a case in which the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. A Canadian judge, Kimberly Prost, was also sanctioned in a separate case related to alleged war crimes in Afghanistan. Two deputy prosecutors, Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal,were also sanctioned.
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Rubio described the ICC as “a national security threat” and said the court had become “an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel.” He criticised the court for investigating US and Israeli citizens without the consent of either country.
France, whose President Emmanuel Macron had visited Washington two days earlier, expressed “dismay” over the sanctions. A foreign ministry spokesman said the move was “in contradiction to the principle of an independent judiciary.” The ICC called the sanctions a “flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.”
ICC ALLEGES NETANYAHU OF WAR CRIMES IN GAZA
The court has alleged that Netanyahu is responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel’s offensive in Gaza, including by intentionally targeting civilians and using starvation as a method of war. Netanyahu thanked Rubio for his “decisive act against a smear campaign of lies against the State of Israel” and the Israeli army.
Israel launched its military campaign in response to a Hamas attack in which mostly civilians were killed. The ICC has also sought the arrest of former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who has since been confirmed killed by Israel.
Judge Guillou has previously taken part in trials related to Kosovo and Lebanon. He also worked for several years in the United States assisting the Justice Department with judicial cooperation during the Obama administration. Under the US sanctions, Guillou will be barred from entering the United States and any assets he holds in the country will be blocked.
LATEST SANCTIONS REFLECT BROADER OPPOSITION TO ICC
The Trump administration had also imposed sanctions on ICC officials and rejected the court’s authority. Rubio had earlier imposed sanctions on four other ICC judges in June.
The State Department said the two deputy prosecutors were sanctioned for supporting “illegitimate ICC actions against Israel,” including supporting the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
Judge Prost, from Canada, was involved in a case that authorised an investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan, including by US forces.
The United States, Russia, and Israel are not parties to the ICC. Recently, Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska, despite an ICC arrest warrant against him over the invasion of Ukraine.
Former President Joe Biden’s administration had also opposed ICC action against Israel, lifted earlier sanctions, and allowed limited cooperation with the court, including in gathering evidence related to Ukraine.
– Ends
Published By: Harshita Das Published On: Aug 21, 2025
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US Love For Peace? Washington Targets ICC, Expands Sanctions On Judges, Prosecutors Probing Gaza War Crimes
The United States has expanded its sanctions against the International Criminal Court. Four senior judges and prosecutors are targeted in connection with ongoing investigations into alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. The ICC has faced fierce criticism from Washington, particularly after issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The court is also investigating potential abuses by U.S. forces in Afghanistan, though it prioritises Taliban and ISIS-related atrocities. Critics say the action could weaken international law to shield Israel and American personnel from accountability.
“The Court is a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel,” Rubio said.
The new measures affect Canadian Judge Kimberly Prost, French Judge Nicolas Guillou and deputy prosecutors Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.
Guillou oversaw the pre-trial panel that issued the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while Khan and Niang helped uphold the warrants. Prost is sanctioned for authorising the ICC investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.
The United States cited their roles in actions it described as “illegitimate and baseless” against Israel and American officials.
The ICC has faced fierce criticism from Washington, particularly after issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. The court is also investigating potential abuses by U.S. forces in Afghanistan, though it prioritises Taliban and ISIS-related atrocities.
Following the U.S. announcement, the ICC condemned the sanctions. The court called the measures “a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution” and reiterated its commitment to pursue accountability for victims of war crimes worldwide.
Netanyahu praised the U.S. move as “a decisive act against a smear campaign of lies against the State of Israel”.
Two of the sanctioned officials, Prost and Guillou, come from Canada and France, countries that recently recognised a Palestinian state in response to Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank. The French Foreign Ministry said the judges’ work is “essential in the fight against impunity”, highlighting the international stakes involved.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric warned that the sanctions “impose severe impediments on the functioning of the office of the prosecutor”, undermining the foundations of international justice.
The United States has long opposed the ICC and has resisted the idea that American officials could face prosecution for war crimes. Previous administrations had avoided extreme measures like sanctions. This new round represents the Trump administration’s most assertive step. Critics say the action could weaken international law to shield Israel and American personnel from accountability.
International Criminal Court chiefs slam US sanctions on top staff
Frenchman Nicolas Guillou has been presiding over a case in which an arrest warrant was issued for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Canadian judge, Kimberly Prost, was involved in a case that authorised an investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan. Deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan from Fiji and deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang from Senegal were also placed on the list banning them from travelling to the US and blocking their access to property. The US said the US was punishing Niang and Khan for supporting “illegitimate ICC actions against Israel,” including their support of the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and the Israeli former defence minister Yoav Gallant. In June four judges from Benin, Uganda, Peru and Slovenia were hit with sanctions.
Frenchman Nicolas Guillou has been presiding over a case in which an arrest warrant was issued for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Canadian judge, Kimberly Prost, was involved in a case that authorised an investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan, including by United States forces.
Deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan from Fiji and deputy prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang from Senegal were also placed on the list banning them from travelling to the US and blocking their access to property.
“These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties from all regions,” said the International Criminal Court (ICC) in a statement.
“They constitute also an affront against the court’s States Parties, the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world.”
French officials expressed dismay at the US State Department’s move.
A foreign ministry spokesman said the sanctions were in contradiction to the principle of an independent judiciary.
In June four judges from Benin, Uganda, Peru and Slovenia were hit with sanctions.
“As stated before by the ICC president and judiciary … the court stands firmly behind its personnel and victims of unimaginable atrocities. The ICC will continue fulfilling its mandate, undeterred, in strict accordance with its legal framework as adopted by the States Parties and without regard to any restriction, pressure or threat.”
The ICC was set up in 2002 in the Dutch capital The Hague to try individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and aggression.
“The ICC is a national security threat that has been an instrument for “lawfare” against the United States and our close ally Israel,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, using the “lawfare” term popular with President Donald Trump’s supporters.
Rubio said that the four recent targets had sought to investigate or prosecute nationals from the US or Israel without the consent of either nation.
The State Department said the US was punishing Niang and Khan for supporting “illegitimate ICC actions against Israel,” including their support of the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and the Israeli former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
People step on a piece of paper with the image of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during a protest in support of Palestinians, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Paris, France July 31, 2025. REUTERS – Tom Nicholson
“I congratulate Marco Rubio who decided to impose sanctions on the judges of the International Criminal Court,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
“This is a decisive act against a smear campaign of lies against the State of Israel and the [Israeli army],” added the prime minister, who has been the subject of an ICC arrest warrant since November 2024 for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Court of last resort
Under the sanctions, the US will bar entry of the ICC judges to the US and block any property they have in the country – measures more often taken against adversaries of the US than individuals from close allies.
International ire over Trump sanctions against ICC
The Trump administration has rejected the authority of the court, which is backed by almost all European governments.
Last Friday, Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska even though Putin faces an ICC arrest warrant, a factor that has stopped him from travelling more widely since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
(With newswires)
Israel Moves Forward With Plan To Expand Occupation In Gaza: Live Updates
Dr. Mimi Syed is the latest volunteer doctor to be denied entry into Gaza by Israeli authorities. She has publicly testified to the horrors she saw during past missions in Gaza. Syed: “We were given no reason as to why we were denied, we were just denied”
In a video posted Wednesday from Jordan, Dr. Mimi Syed said that Israel denied her and a colleague entry into Gaza despite the critical status of the territory’s health care system and her experience having served multiple medical missions there.
“We were given no reason as to why we were denied, we were just denied,” Syed said. “Myself and my other colleague that was denied, we’ve been pretty vocal in the media about what we saw on our last missions in Gaza.”
In her video, Syed showed a suitcase full of packets of food and baby formula she planned to bring into the territory, where Palestinians are increasingly starving to death. She also displayed plasma exchange filters that “were desperately needed because of Guillain-Barré [syndrome] that we’re seeing in Gaza.”
Syed is the latest volunteer doctor to be denied entry into Gaza by Israeli authorities after going on media outlets to describe in detail what she saw as a result of Israel’s offensive.