UN, EU condemn US sanctions on ICC judges: An assault on justice

Shafaq News

13 hours ago

Shafaq News/ On Friday, the United Nations and European Union condemned US President Donald Trump's decision to impose sanctions on four International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, calling the move a violation of international law and a threat to judicial independence.
"I am profoundly disturbed by the decision of the Government of the United States of America to sanction judges of the International Criminal Court," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in statement. 'Attacks against judges for performance of their judicial functions… run directly counter to respect for the rule of law.'
Türk urged Washington to reconsider and withdraw the latest measures, warning that such actions are 'deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice.'
The EU echoed the UN's position, affirming its full support for the ICC. 'The ICC holds perpetrators of the world's gravest crimes to account and gives victims a voice. It must be free to act without pressure,' European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.
European Council President Antonio Costa also described the court as 'a cornerstone of international justice,' stressing the need to protect its independence and integrity.
Meanwhile, the court's governing body, the Assembly of States Parties—representing 125 member countries—also issued a strong rebuke. 'These ... are regrettable attempts to impede the Court and its personnel in the exercise of their independent judicial functions,' it stated.
The US sanctions, announced Thursday, target Judges Beti Hohler of Slovenia, Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, and Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda. Two of them—Hohler and Alapini-Gansou—took part in proceedings that led to the ICC's November 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes in Gaza. The other two judges were involved in authorizing an investigation into alleged war crimes committed by US troops during the war in Afghanistan.
The sanctions place the four judges on the US Specially Designated Nationals List, which blocks any assets under US jurisdiction and severely restricts access to the global financial system. The designation is recognized by many international banks, making it difficult for the sanctioned individuals to conduct basic financial transactions.