The United States has imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to allegations of politicization and abuse of power. The move, made pursuant to Executive Order 14203, targets individuals who have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate or prosecute protected persons without their consent.
The Department of State has designated Judge Solomy Balunyi Bossa, Judge Luz Del Carmen Ibanez Carranza, Judge Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou, and Judge Beti Hohler. The sanctions reflect the seriousness of the threat posed by the ICC's actions against the United States and Israel.
According to sources, Judge Bossa and Judge Ibanez Carranza ruled to authorize the ICC's investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan, while Judges Alapini Gansou and Hohler authorized the issuance of arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The sanctions aim to impose tangible consequences on those directly engaged in the ICC's transgressions.
As a result of these sanctions, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned individuals are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Additionally, any individual or entity owned 50 percent or more by one of the blocked persons is also subject to sanctions.
The move has significant implications for transactions involving the sanctioned individuals or entities. U.S. persons are prohibited from making contributions or providing funds, goods, or services to the targeted individuals, and the receipt of such items is also forbidden.
The Department of State's designations were made in accordance with Executive Order 14203, which authorizes sanctions on foreign persons engaged in certain efforts by the ICC. The sanctions are intended to impose significant consequences on those who have directly engaged in the ICC's actions against the United States and Israel.
The U.S. government has provided guidance for individuals or entities seeking to be removed from the SDN List, which includes a process for submitting petitions and referring to the Department of State's Delisting Guidance page.
The sanctions are part of a broader effort by the U.S. government to counter what it sees as the ICC's politicization and abuse of power. The move reflects the seriousness with which the United States approaches this issue and its commitment to protecting the rights and interests of Israel and the United States.