The United States has imposed sanctions on four more judges and prosecutors from the International Criminal Court, including representatives of allied countries such as France and Canada, in an attempt to restrict the tribunal’s actions, particularly regarding cases against Israel.

“The Court is a threat to national security and an instrument of legal warfare against the United States and our close ally Israel,” said Secretary of State Marco Rubio, using a term popular among supporters of President Donald Trump.

Rubio explained that the four magistrates in The Hague have taken steps to investigate or bring charges against citizens of the US and Israel “without the consent of either state.” Among them is French judge Nicolas Guillou, who presides over a case that resulted in an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The case was filed by Palestine, which, unlike Israel and the US, is a party to the statute that established the tribunal.

Guillou is an experienced jurist who worked in the United States on judicial cooperation during the Barack Obama administration. Also sanctioned was Canadian judge Kimberly Prost, who took part in authorizing an investigation into war crimes in Afghanistan, including by American troops.

The new measures include a ban on the judges entering the US and the freezing of any assets they may hold on American territory – a step usually applied against Washington’s adversaries, not representatives of close allies.

Sanctions were also imposed on two deputy prosecutors – Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mam Mandiaye Niang of Senegal – accused of supporting the court’s “illegal actions” against Israel, including the arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The Trump administration has consistently rejected the legitimacy of the International Criminal Court, which is supported by nearly all European democracies and was established as a last resort when national systems fail to deliver justice.

Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, despite the fact that Putin himself is subject to an arrest warrant from the court in The Hague – a factor that has restricted his international travel since the invasion of Ukraine.

In June, Rubio had already imposed sanctions on four other ICC judges. | BGNES