State Department sanctions four judges on the International Criminal Court

The State Department on Thursday announced sanctions on four judges on the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands, over their roles in investigating the United States and Israel.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed that two of the justices approved the court's arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The other two authorized the ICC’s investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.

The sanctions target judges  Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia.

"As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel," Rubio said in a statement. "The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies. This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel. 

"The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other U.S. ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC," he continued. "I call on the countries that still support the ICC, many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American sacrifices to fight this disgraceful attack on our nation and Israel."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.