Washington , US,20 August 2025
The International Criminal Court has called new US sanctions on its judges and prosecutors a “flagrant attack” on its judicial independence.
The United Nations-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) has strongly rejected new sanctions imposed by the U.S. on its judges and a deputy prosecutor, with a spokesperson for the court describing the move as a “flagrant attack” on its independence. The sanctions, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, target officials involved in the investigation of war crimes.
Rubio stated that the ICC is “a national security threat” and an “instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel.” The ICC, which is based in The Hague, Netherlands, is currently investigating alleged war crimes in Gaza and Afghanistan. The court’s statement emphasized that the sanctions are an “affront” to its member states, the rules-based international order, and “millions of innocent victims across the world.”
The United States and Israel are not signatories to the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the ICC. Last November, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former Hamas commander.
* Political & Judicial Conflict:
The U.S. has sanctioned ICC officials, claiming the court is a threat to national security and an ally.
* ICC Rejection:
The International Criminal Court has condemned the sanctions as an attack on its impartiality and independence.
* Ongoing Investigations:
The sanctions come amid the ICC’s ongoing probes into alleged war crimes in Gaza and Afghanistan.
* Non-Member States:
The U.S. and Israel, who are not parties to the Rome Statute, are at the center of the dispute.
