The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Thursday that it "strongly rejects" new US sanctions on two ICC judges, labelling the move a "flagrant attack" against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.
The ICC harshly criticised the announcement of new US sanctions on Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Judge Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia.
"These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution which operates pursuant to the mandate conferred by its States Parties from across regions," the ICC said in a statement.
It said that when judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk.
"Such measures targeting judges and prosecutors who were elected by the States Parties undermine the rule of law," said the court.
The statement reiterated that the court stands firmly behind its personnel and behind victims of unimaginable atrocities.
‘Illegitimate targeting of Israel’
Earlier on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced US sanctions on the two ICC judges for being "directly engaged” in what he called “the illegitimate targeting of Israel."
The US sanctioned ICC officials for authorising arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, warrants which accuse both officials of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel's consent, including voting with the majority in favour of the ICC’s ruling against Israel’s appeal on December 15,” Rubio said in the statement.
Rubio called the ICC's efforts to hold Israel accountable “politicised actions targeting Israel.”
The sanctions followed Monday’s ruling by the ICC’s appeals chamber, which rejected Israel’s effort to invalidate arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu and Gallant.
In that decision, ICC judges ruled that the court’s investigation into alleged crimes committed in Gaza after October 7, 2023 was already covered by a 2021 notification issued to Israel and did not require a new notice under the Rome Statute.
