The United States has imposed sanctions on four individuals who currently serve as judges at the International Criminal Court, according to a statement from the office of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
According to the statement, a copy of which was received by Al-Quds, the United States "does not take this step lightly. It reflects the seriousness of the threat we face from the politicization of the International Criminal Court and its abuse of power."
The statement said: "These designations were issued by the Department of State pursuant to Executive Order 14203, which authorizes sanctions against foreign persons involved in certain ICC efforts and aims to impose tangible and significant consequences on those directly implicated in ICC abuses against the United States and Israel."
The statement adds: “The Department is designating the following individuals pursuant to Section 1(a)(ii)(A) of Executive Order 14203, for their direct participation in any effort by the International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute a protected person without the consent of his or her country of nationality: Solomi Balungi Bossa (of Uganda), Judge, Appeals Division, International Criminal Court; Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza (of Peru), Judge, Appeals Division, International Criminal Court; Reine Adélaïde Sophie Alapini Gansou (of Benin), Judge, Pre-Trial Division, International Criminal Court; and Betty Hohler (of Slovenia), Judge, Pre-Trial Division, International Criminal Court.”
The statement said: "Bossa and Ibáñez Carranza issued a decision authorizing the International Criminal Court to investigate US personnel in Afghanistan. Alabini Ganso and Hoehler also issued a decision authorizing the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The ICC is politically motivated and falsely claims it has absolute authority to investigate, indict, and prosecute citizens of the United States and our allies."
The statement explains: “As a result of today’s sanctions actions, all property and interests in property of the above-mentioned sanctioned persons that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. All individuals or entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, individually or collectively, by 50% or more of one or more of the blocked persons are also blocked.”
Also: “All transactions by U.S. persons or within the United States (or transiting through the United States) that involve any property or interests in property of designated or blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by, or exempt from, OFAC. 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.”
The International Criminal Court criticized the move, saying it was an attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution that provides hope and justice to millions of victims who have been subjected to "unimaginable atrocities."
Judges Bossa and Ibáñez Carranza have been on the bench since 2018. In 2020, they participated in the Appeals Chamber's decision authorizing the ICC Prosecutor to open a formal investigation into allegations of war crimes against US forces in Afghanistan.
In 2021, the court deprioritized the investigation into the actions of US forces in Afghanistan and focused on alleged crimes against the Afghan government and the Taliban.
On November 21, the court's judges issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, known as Mohammed Deif, the commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war. Hamas confirmed Deif's death in January.
It's worth noting that these measures also come in the wake of the US House of Representatives' vote last January to sanction the International Criminal Court in protest of the arrest warrants issued against Netanyahu and Gatlan. This move underscored the strong support among Republicans for the Israeli government.
شارك برأيك
Washington imposes sanctions on four International Criminal Court judges in support of Israel.