The United States has imposed sanctions on two judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing them of targeting Israel through judicial actions, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Thursday.
According to Rubio, the sanctions apply to ICC judges Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia. He said the move was taken under Executive Order 14203, signed by President Donald Trump in February, which authorises punitive measures against ICC officials.
Rubio stated that the judges were involved in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals without Israel’s consent. He reiterated that neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC and therefore does not recognise its jurisdiction.
Under the sanctions, any assets belonging to the designated judges within U.S. jurisdiction will be frozen, and they, along with their immediate family members, will be barred from entering the United States.
The announcement comes days after the ICC rejected Israel’s request to halt its investigation into alleged war crimes committed during the Gaza conflict. On December 15, ICC appeals judges dismissed Israel’s legal challenge and allowed the probe to continue.
The ruling confirmed that arrest warrants issued last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant remain valid. Israel has strongly rejected the court’s authority and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.
The ICC investigation covers events following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. While the court initially issued a warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, it was later withdrawn after reports of his death.
Although a ceasefire took effect on October 10, the conflict has left much of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed, with humanitarian conditions described as dire by international agencies.
Post a Comment