The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has condemned the U. S. Government’s announcement of sanctions against four International Criminal Court (ICC) judges.
In a statement on Friday, Mr Türk described the sanctions as “deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice.”
The measures were announced on Thursday by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They target ICC judges overseeing cases involving alleged war crimes.
These include a 2020 case involving U.S. and Afghan forces in Afghanistan, and the 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
“I am profoundly disturbed by the decision of the U.S. Government to sanction judges of the International Criminal Court,” said Mr Türk.
He noted the four judges are women from Benin, Peru, Slovenia, and Uganda, involved in rulings on Afghanistan and Palestine.
Mr Türk urged a prompt reconsideration and withdrawal of the sanctions without delay.
According to him, the sanctions target judges for carrying out judicial duties, undermining the rule of law and values long upheld by the U.S.
Mr Türk’s remarks follow a strong ICC statement on Thursday condemning the move as an attempt to undermine judicial independence.
The ICC operates under the authority of 125 States Parties from across the world, reaffirming its global mandate.
On Friday, the Assembly of States Parties — the court’s legislative body — echoed concerns, rejecting the sanctions imposed by the U.S.
They warned that the measures risked damaging global accountability efforts, weakening justice, and eroding the rules-based international order.
(NAN)
