The U.S. just slapped sanctions on two more International Criminal Court judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze from Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin from Mongolia. Secretary of State Marco Rubio put out a statement saying these sanctions, under an existing executive order, are because the judges helped investigate Israeli nationals without Israel's okay. Their assets in the States are now frozen, and they, along with their families, are banned from entering the country. This all stems from the ICC rejecting an Israeli appeal last December, a ruling both judges supported.
This is the third batch of sanctions from this administration targeting the court over its Israel stuff. They first went after the former top prosecutor, Karim Khan, back in February. Then in June, they hit four other judges: Solomy Balungi Bossa, Luz Del Carmen Ibanez Carranza, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou, and Beti Hohler. Another round in August added judges Kimberly Prost and Nicolas Guillou, plus deputy judges Nazhat Shameem Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang, to the list.
The ICC's governing body, the Assembly of States Parties, called the move a bad attempt to mess with the court's independent judicial work. Rubio doubled down, saying America and Israel are not part of the ICC's founding treaty and will keep hitting back against what they see as legal overreach. Outside groups like Human Rights Watch have warned before that these kinds of U.S. actions threaten the pursuit of justice.
This is the third batch of sanctions from this administration targeting the court over its Israel stuff. They first went after the former top prosecutor, Karim Khan, back in February. Then in June, they hit four other judges: Solomy Balungi Bossa, Luz Del Carmen Ibanez Carranza, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou, and Beti Hohler. Another round in August added judges Kimberly Prost and Nicolas Guillou, plus deputy judges Nazhat Shameem Khan and Mame Mandiaye Niang, to the list.
The ICC's governing body, the Assembly of States Parties, called the move a bad attempt to mess with the court's independent judicial work. Rubio doubled down, saying America and Israel are not part of the ICC's founding treaty and will keep hitting back against what they see as legal overreach. Outside groups like Human Rights Watch have warned before that these kinds of U.S. actions threaten the pursuit of justice.
