In a rare diplomatic move, the Trump administration has sanctioned four judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC), including one presiding over the case of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte. The U.S. government announced the sanctions on Thursday in response to the ICC’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and past investigations into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan.
Among the sanctioned judges is Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, who is part of the panel handling Duterte’s case involving alleged crimes against humanity during his controversial anti-drug campaign. She’s also one of two judges Duterte’s legal team has sought to have removed from the case.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in his statement, accused the court of launching “baseless and illegitimate” actions against the United States and its allies, particularly Israel. The ICC rebuked the sanctions as a direct threat to its judicial independence and its mission to deliver justice to victims of severe human rights abuses.
The sanctions limit the judges’ financial activities within the U.S. banking system, though a temporary license allows existing transactions to be settled until July 8.
The decision comes as tensions grow between Washington and the ICC, which has ongoing investigations not only in the Middle East but also in Ukraine, the Philippines, and other hotspots. The move also follows earlier U.S. efforts to penalize the ICC, including sanctions against then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in 2020.
Human rights organizations condemned the latest measures. Human Rights Watch criticized the sanctions as an attack on international justice and the rule of law.