Because of Israel: US government sanctions female judges of the International Criminal Court

The US government has imposed sanctions on four judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded that the court's unfounded and targeted actions against the US and Israel must stop.

President Donald Trump paved the way for such sanctions with a decree in February. He accuses the court, based in The Hague, of abuse of power.

Washington accuses two sanctioned judges of authorizing an investigation into US soldiers in Afghanistan, according to the State Department. The US accuses the other two judges of facilitating arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Joav Galant in connection with the Gaza war.

Due to the sanctions, any assets the judges may have in the United States will be frozen. Furthermore, US companies and US citizens are no longer allowed to do business with them. However, the US government has not issued a travel ban.

The judges concerned are Ugandan judge Solomy Balungi Bossa, Peruvian Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, Reine Alapini-Gansou from Benin and Slovenian judge Beti Hohler.

The court has been prosecuting the most serious crimes, such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, since 2002. All EU member states are members; however, the United States, Israel , and Russia are not party to the treaty.

Trump had already imposed sanctions during his first term as US president when the court investigated alleged war crimes by US soldiers in Afghanistan. His successor, Biden, reversed these sanctions.