The Voice News: The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing them of taking “illegal and baseless” actions against the United States and its allies.
According to a report by Al Jazeera on Friday (June 6), U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions in a statement issued on Thursday. Rubio claimed that the ICC is a politically motivated institution that interferes with U.S. sovereignty and national security.
The sanctioned judges include: Solomy Balungi Bossa of Ugande, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru,Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini,Gansou of Benin,Beti Hohler of Slovenia.
Under the sanctions, any assets they have in the United States will be frozen. Additionally, American companies and institutions are prohibited from engaging in any transactions, funding, or providing goods and services to them.
In response, the ICC immediately issued a statement expressing strong condemnation of the Trump administration’s decision. The statement said the court stands by its judges and described the sanctions as a direct attack on the independence of a judicial institution working under the mandate of 125 countries. It further stated that such actions only embolden those who believe they can act with impunity and do not help civilians trapped in conflict.
A fact sheet from the U.S. State Department revealed that Judges Bossa and Ibáñez Carranza are being sanctioned for authorizing an investigation in 2020 into U.S. military actions in Afghanistan. The ICC had previously declined to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Afghanistan between 2001 and 2021, during the U.S.-led war. However, the court later reversed that decision and approved the prosecutor’s request to investigate potential war crimes committed by U.S. forces and CIA personnel in secret detention sites in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Afghanistan is a party to the Rome Statute, which grants the ICC jurisdiction in 125 countries.
The other two judges, Alapini-Gansou and Hohler, have been sanctioned for their involvement in actions against Israeli leaders. The United States, a long-time ally of Israel and the first to recognize the country in 1948, continues to support Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. United Nations experts and human rights groups have compared Israel’s military operations to acts of genocide.
In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza, specifically for targeting civilians. Judges Alapini-Gansou and Hohler were reportedly involved in that process.
Has this happened before?
This is not the first time ICC officials have been sanctioned under Trump’s leadership. In his second term, Trump renewed his opposition to the ICC. Shortly after taking office, he issued a broad executive order threatening sanctions on anyone participating in ICC investigations. Critics warned that such sweeping language could obstruct justice and intimidate witnesses.
During his first term, Trump also opposed the ICC. In 2019, he announced visa bans and cancellations for ICC officials investigating U.S. troops in Afghanistan. In 2020, he imposed sanctions on Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and court official Phakiso Mochochoko—measures later reversed by President Joe Biden.