US sanctions four ICC judges over efforts to prosecute Israelis, Americans

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces sanctions against four judges on the International Criminal Court over what he says is their direct involvement in The Hague’s efforts to prosecute Israeli and US nationals for alleged war crimes in the ongoing Gaza conflict.

The four justices designated are Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. Any US assets that they have will be frozen, and they will be barred from entering the US.

Gansou and Hohler are two of the three judges adjudicating the case involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.

Rubio argues that efforts by the court to prosecute Israeli nationals are illegal because Israel is not party to the Rome Statute that created the ICC. The Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, is a Rome Statute signatory, in what the court has deemed is sufficient for hearing cases on alleged crimes that took place in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

“As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel,” Rubio says 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 and our allies, including Israel,” he adds.