Four judges from Benin, Uganda, Peru, and Slovenia have been barred from entering the US
The International Bar Association and the International Criminal Court have slammed the US's imposition of sanctions on four ICC judges.
The US has barred Second Vice-President Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou (Benin), Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza (Peru) and Judge Beti Hohler (Slovenia) from entering the country as of last Thursday June 5. Their US assets have also been blocked, according to the IBA. The sanctions were set down pursuant to US President Donald Trump's Executive Order 14203, which sanctioned the ICC prosecutor.
Alapini Gansou and Beti Hohler had greenlit the issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant last November. In March 2020, Balungi Bossa and Ibáñez Carranza authorized the launch of an ICC investigation in Afghanistan.
The ICC condemned the sanctions as "a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 states parties from all corners of the globe."
"The ICC provides justice and hope to millions of victims of unimaginable atrocities, in strict adherence to the Rome Statute, and maintains the highest standards in protecting the rights of suspects and the victims. Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict. It only emboldens those who believe they can act with impunity," the ICC wrote in a statement on its website. "These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, they also target all those who support the court, including nationals and corporate entities of states parties. They are aimed against innocent victims in all situations before the court, as well as the rule of law, peace, security and the prevention of the gravest crimes that shock the conscience of humanity."
The court reiterated its support for the sanctioned judges, as did the IBA.
"The ongoing attacks by the US administration against the International Criminal Court are a deeply troubling and unacceptable effort to obstruct the court’s mandate and undermine the pursuit of justice for victims of the most serious international crimes. ICC states parties must respond with clarity and resolve to defend the integrity and independence of the court," IBA executive director Dr Mark Ellis said in a statement.
