Washington, Dec 18, (dpa/GNA) – The US government has imposed sanctions against two more judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), over its investigations against Israeli citizens, it said on Thursday.
The ICC “has continued to engage in politicized actions targeting Israel, which set a dangerous precedent for all nations,” according to a statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The government accused the court of “abuses of power” that violate the sovereignty of the United States and its close ally Israel.
Judges Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia and Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia were placed on the sanctions list, according to a separate statement by the US Treasury Department.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the decision.
In a post on X, it accused the court of being “a hostile political body” and of “pursuing false prosecutions against the State of Israel and the United States of America.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations expressed “serious concern” about the incident. The ICC is a “key pillar of international criminal justice,” UN Secretary-General AntĂłnio Guterres said in a statement issued in New York.
This year, the US government targeted ICC judges and prosecutors on several occasions.
Among other steps, the US imposed sanctions on Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who is currently on leave due to allegations of sexual assault.
Washington has repeatedly accused the court, based in The Hague, of abuse of power.
Since 2002, the ICC has been prosecuting the most serious crimes such as genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. All EU states were members until Hungary announced its withdrawal in June.
The US, Israel and Russia are not signatory states. Just over a year ago, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on suspicion of war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
This is the main reason why the court is under intense pressure from the US government.
In a statement, the ICC strongly criticized the measures taken by Washington.
“These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates pursuant to the mandate conferred by its States Parties from across regions,” the court said, pledging to continue its work with all of its partners.
The presidency of the ICC’s contracting states cited an escalation due to the new US measures, which it said undermine the independence of the court and the integrity of the Rome Statute system.
GNA