Liz Evenson, international justice director, Human Rights Watch, says, “President Trump’s sanctions on ICC judges aim to deter the ICC from seeking accountability amid grave crimes committed in Israel and Palestine and as Israeli atrocities mount in Gaza, including with US complicity.
Evenson added that US sanctions on ICC judges are a flagrant attack on the rule of law at the same time as President Trump is working to undercut it at home.
According to the Human Rights Watch director, sanctions are intended to halt human rights violations, not to punish those seeking justice for the most heinous crimes.
The Rights director, however, called on ICC member countries to speak out against the US sanctions and make clear they back the court’s independence and critical global mandate.
The United States had on Thursday, sanctioned four individuals, currently serving as judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
It said, ”We do not take this step lightly. It reflects the seriousness of the threat we face from the ICC’s politicization and abuse of power.
”The Department of State’s designations are made under Executive Order (E.O.) 14203, which authorizes sanctions on foreign persons engaged in certain efforts by the ICC and aims to impose tangible and significant consequences on those directly engaged in the ICC’s transgressions against the United States and Israel.”
The Department is designating the following individuals pursuant to section 1(a)(ii)(A) of E.O. 14203, for having directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute a protected person without consent of that person’s country of nationality:
- SOLOMY BALUNGI BOSSA, Judge, Appeals Division, International Criminal Court
- LUZ DEL CARMEN IBANEZ CARRANZA, Judge, Appeals Division, International Criminal Court
- REINE ADELAIDE SOPHIE ALAPINI GANSOU, Judge, Pre-Trial and Trial Division, International Criminal Court
- BETI HOHLER, Judge, Pre-Trial and Trial Division, International Criminal Court
Bossa and Ibanez Carranza ruled to authorize the ICC’s investigation against U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. Alapini Gansou and Hohler ruled to authorize the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
Sanctions Implications
As a result of today’s sanctions-related actions, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, all individuals or entities that are owned, either directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.
All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt. These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.
Petitions for removal from the SDN List may be sent to: OFAC.Reconsideration@treasury.gov. Petitioners may also refer to the Department of State’s Delisting Guidance page.
