US targets ICC judges with sanctions over Israel war crimes investigation

The United States has sanctioned judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), claiming that the court is overreaching and politicising actions targeting Israel.

In a statement released by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Thursday, the US said it had designated ICC judges Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia with sanctions under Executive Order 14203.

According to the statement, the two judges were targeted for their roles in ICC efforts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute Israeli nationals without Israel’s consent. 

Rubio slammed Lordkipanidze and Damdin for “voting with the majority” on December 15, when the ICC rejected Israel’s attempt to pause the war crimes probe.

Rubio said Washington’s long-standing position is that neither the US nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and therefore rejects the court’s jurisdiction over their nationals.

"The ICC has continued to engage in politicised actions targeting Israel, which set a dangerous precedent for all nations. We will not tolerate ICC abuses of power that violate the sovereignty of the United States and Israel and wrongly subject U.S. and Israeli persons to the ICC’s jurisdiction."

“We will continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to the ICC’s lawfare and overreach,” the statement said.

IOL