U.S. imposes fresh sanctions on International Criminal Court judges, among them a French judicial authority

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing new sanctions from the United States, following an escalation of tensions between the court and several nations, notably Israel and the U.S.

The sanctions, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a press release, target four ICC judges: Kimberly Prost (Canadian), Nicolas Guillou (French), Nazhat Shameem Khan (Fiji), and Mame Mandiaye Niang (Senegal). These judges have been sanctioned for their involvement in investigations, arrests, detainments, or prosecutions of U.S. or Israeli nationals without the consent of either country.

The U.S. sanctions include a ban on entering U.S. soil, freezing assets held in the United States, and prohibiting financial transactions. This move has been met with consternation from various quarters, with France expressing its solidarity with the targeted judges, stating that the U.S. sanctions are contrary to the principle of independence of justice.

The ICC's investigations into potential war crimes committed by U.S. or Israeli nationals continue to be a point of contention between these nations and the court. The U.S. chief diplomat has stated that the ICC represents a threat to national security, a sentiment echoed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has welcomed the U.S. sanctions against the ICC.

Notably, the ICC has issued arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip. The ICC has qualified the U.S. sanctions against its judges as a "blatant attack on the independence of an impartial judicial institution."

It is important to note that neither the United States nor Israel are members of the ICC. The left and center in the European Parliament have criticized Donald Trump's sanctions against the ICC, calling them "unacceptable." This is not the first time the U.S. has criticized the ICC since Donald Trump took office in January.

The ICC, based in The Hague, has been a crucial institution in international justice since its establishment in 2002. Its mission is to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of international concern, namely genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

This latest development in the ongoing saga between the ICC and the U.S. and Israel promises to be a significant test of the court's independence and the international community's commitment to upholding justice and accountability.