WASHINGTON, D.C. — THE U.S. government has expanded its sanctions against officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), adding four new names to the list. This move comes as Washington steps up pressure on the court, which recently issued arrest warrants for key Israeli officials.
The newly sanctioned individuals are two judges and two deputy prosecutors: Judges Kimberly Prost and Nicolas Yann Guillou of the ICC's Trial Division; Deputy Prosecutors Nazhat Shameen Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang
In a statement, the U.S. Department of State announced, "Today, the United States is sanctioning four individuals, currently serving on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Department of State’s designations are made pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14203, which authorizes sanctions on foreign persons engaged in certain malign 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.”
This latest action follows the court's decision late last year to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The ICC accused the two of having some level of responsibility for the ongoing “murder and starvation in the Gaza War.”
The Trump administration in Washington, D.C., however, maintains that the ICC has no authority in this matter. A statement from President Donald J. Trump declared:
“...the International Criminal Court (ICC), as established by the Rome Statute, has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel. The ICC has, without a legitimate basis, asserted jurisdiction over and opened preliminary investigations concerning personnel of the United States and certain of its allies, including Israel, and has further abused its power by issuing baseless arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant,” the White House said back in February.
The State Department explained the new sanctions are a result of the officials “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”.
The statement specified the reasons for each sanction:
Prost is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC’s investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. Guillou is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.
Deputy Prosecutors Shameem Khan and Niang are being designated for continuing to support illegitimate ICC actions against Israel, including upholding the ICC’s arrest warrants targeting Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant since they assumed leadership for the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor.
