On Thursday, the Trump administration enacted sanctions against four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in light of allegations concerning Israel.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited sanctions targeting Uganda’s Solomy Barungi Bossa, Peru’s Ruz del Carmen Ibañez Carranza, Benin’s Rain Adelaide Sophie Arapini Gunsou, and Slovenia’s Betty Holler.
“These individuals directly participated in the ICC’s efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute citizens of the U.S. or Israel without consent,” Rubio explained.
These sanctions link back to an executive order issued on February 6. This was a reaction to a May 2024 arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Joab Gallant, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the ongoing conflict with Hamas.
Rubio mentioned that these judges were “actively involved” in the ICC’s “illegal and unfounded actions targeting the U.S. or our close ally, Israel.” He criticized the ICC as politicized, asserting that it wrongly claims the authority to investigate and prosecute citizens from the U.S. and its allies. He emphasized that this poses a threat to national security and sovereignty.
Rubio stated that the U.S. would take “necessary actions” to safeguard Israel and other allies from the ICC’s alleged illegal activities. He remarked that court members seem to provoke the U.S. and Israel, noting how “many freedoms were secured through American sacrifices.”
While the ICC may issue warrants, it does not have the power to enforce them, relying instead on cooperation from member states to do so. Israel isn’t a member of the ICC.
