US ramps up attacks on International Criminal Court in defense of Israel

Washington DC - The US on Wednesday defiantly expanded efforts to hobble the International Criminal Court over its prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sanctioning a judge from ally France.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced new sanctions in an effort to hobble the International Criminal Court. © JIM WATSON / AFP

Secretary of State Marco Rubio also targeted a Canadian judge in a separate case in his latest volley of sanctions against the tribunal in The Hague, which is backed by virtually all other Western democracies as a court of last resort.

"The Court is a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel," Rubio said in a statement, using a term popular with President Donald Trump's supporters.

He attacked the court for investigating US and Israeli citizens "without the consent of either nation."

Among the four people newly slapped with sanctions was Judge Nicolas Guillou of France, who is presiding over a case in which an arrest warrant was issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

France – whose president, Emmanuel Macron, was in Washington two days earlier – expressed "dismay" over the action.

The sanctions are "in contradiction to the principle of an independent judiciary," a foreign ministry spokesman said in Paris.

The ICC, in its own statement, denounced the "flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution."

The court's prosecution alleges Netanyahu is responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel's brutal offensive in Gaza, including by intentionally targeting civilians and using starvation as a method of war.

The ICC has also sought the arrest of former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who has since been confirmed killed by Israel.

Guillou is a veteran jurist who previously participated in trials over Kosovo and Lebanon. He worked for several years in the US, assisting the Justice Department with judicial cooperation during Barack Obama's presidency.

Under the sanctions, he will be refused entry to the US and any assets he has in the world's largest economy will be blocked – measures more often taken against US adversaries than citizens of friendly nations.

The @IntlCrimCourt continues to disregard national sovereignty and facilitate lawfare through efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, and prosecute American and Israeli nationals. In response, I am sanctioning four additional ICC officials. We will continue to hold accountable…

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) August 20, 2025

US imposes further sanctions on ICC judges The ICC slammed the US over its "flagrant attack" on the institution. © IMAGO / NurPhoto

Also targeted by the latest US sanctions was a Canadian judge, Kimberly Prost, who was involved in a case that authorized an investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan, including by US forces.

Rubio also slapped sanctions on two deputy prosecutors – Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.

The State Department said the two were punished by the US for supporting "illegitimate ICC actions against Israel," including by supporting the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

Rubio imposed sanctions on four other ICC judges in June.

The Trump administration has roundly rejected the authority of the court, which was set up as a court of last resort when national systems do not allow for justice.

Trump on Friday welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to Alaska even though Putin faces an ICC arrest warrant, a factor that has stopped him from traveling more widely since he ordered the invasion of Ukraine.

The US, Russia, and Israel are among the nations that reject the ICC.

The #ICC strongly rejects new US sanctions against Judges and Deputy Prosecutors ⤵️ https://t.co/yasAu2G4W0

— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) August 20, 2025

Previous President Joe Biden's administration also opposed its action against Israel but withdrew previous sanctions and was open to narrow cooperation with the ICC, including in gathering evidence in Ukraine.