ICC Judges Sue US President Over Sanctions

Three International Criminal Court (ICC) judges – Canadian Kimberly Prost, Ugandan Solomy Balungi Bossa and Beninese Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini‑Gansou – filed a lawsuit in a Manhattan federal court challenging sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. The judges argue that the sanctions, which barred them from using credit cards, banking services, travel and even online platforms, exceed the authority of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and constitute a “financial death penalty.”

The sanctions were imposed after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and began investigating alleged war crimes involving US forces in Afghanistan. The United States does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction. The White House and the State Department have not responded to requests for comment. The case could test the limits of U.S. extraterritorial sanctions against officials of an international court.