Imposes sanctions on Canadian judge associated with the International Criminal Court, as directed by Trump

In a controversial move, the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on several International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, including Canadian judge Kimberly Prost, for their roles in investigations involving U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and Israel's actions in Gaza and the West Bank.

Judge Prost, who has been a member of the ICC's trial division since 2018, was authorized to oversee the investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. This authorisation led to the imposition of sanctions against her by the U.S.

The State Department alleges that the ICC is a "national security threat" and an "instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel." The department has taken similar actions against a growing list of ICC officials since U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order targeting the international tribunal in February.

The ICC has condemned the latest sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. In a statement, the court called the sanctions a "flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on social media that the U.S. will continue to hold accountable those responsible for the ICC's actions against Americans and Israelis.

Nicolas Guillou, a French judge, was also sanctioned for ruling to authorize the ICC's issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. The State Department's sanctions freeze any assets the officials have in U.S. jurisdictions.

It is important to note that neither the U.S. nor Israel is a member of the ICC. Before joining the ICC, Judge Prost was the first Ombudsperson for the United Nations Security Council Al Qaida Sanctions Committee.

In July, the court issued warrants for two senior Taliban leaders as part of the investigation. The ICC resumed its investigation into Afghanistan the following year after the sanctions were rescinded by President Joe Biden in 2021.

This report was first published in August 2025 by The Canadian Press. The Trump administration's actions against the ICC officials have sparked international criticism and concerns over the independence of the judicial institution.