(AFP) – Three International Criminal Court judges sanctioned by the United States filed a lawsuit Wednesday against President Donald Trump and other senior US officials, arguing the measures against them are unlawful.
In a New York court filing, judges Kimberly Prost of Canada, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, and Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou of Benin alleged the sanctions aimed to “exert extra-judicial pressure.” The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on at least 11 ICC officials, including the chief prosecutor, which consist of travel bans and asset freezes. Many of the measures have been direct reprisals for investigations into key US ally Israel by the ICC, which in 2024 issued an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes.
Wednesday’s lawsuit said the sanctions imposed on Prost, Bossa, and Alapini-Gansou were aimed at “punishing them for prior judicial decisions and coercing them into prioritizing their private interests over deciding cases on the basis of the law and facts.” It added that the measures were “tantamount to the financial death penalty,” as the judges are unable to use credit cards, access banking services, and use online platforms like Amazon and Google.
“The imposition of such draconian sanctions on international judges is unprecedented,” said the 66-page filing, which demands the sanctions be lifted. Alongside Trump, the lawsuit names Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Bradley Smith, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
The United States, Israel, and Russia are among the countries that reject the ICC, which is backed by nearly all Western democracies. The ICC was set up in 2002 as a court of last resort when countries do not have adequate legal systems to ensure accountability. During Trump’s first term, the United States also took action against the top ICC prosecutor in a successful attempt to block an investigation into alleged abuses during the US-led war in Afghanistan. Former president Joe Biden’s administration lifted the sanctions and sought limited cooperation with the court, especially over Ukraine.
© 2024 AFP
