In a striking rebuke of recent U.S. government actions, a coalition of leading human rights organizations has strongly criticized the imposition of U.S. sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), its officials, and collaborators. The targeted sanctions include the ICC prosecutor and four judges, raising alarms over the potential erosion of international justice systems.

The groups, including the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, Judges for Judges, and Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, emphasized that the ICC must operate without external political influence to effectively address severe crimes against humanity. They argue that sanctioning officials from a neutral judicial body undermines the rule of law and threatens human rights globally.

During a session at the UN Human Rights Council, lawyer and UN representative Francesca Restifo highlighted the critical situation, stating, "No one is above the law. We must stand with victims and those who seek justice, and we must stand united against impunity." Her comments come in the wake of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Executive Order, which labels any ICC actions to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute U.S. or allied personnel as a national security threat.

This aggressive U.S. stance followed the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes in the Gaza Strip. These actions are seen by the U.S. as unfairly targeting its ally, Israel, propelling the U.S. to retaliate with sanctions.

The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I had found reasonable evidence that Netanyahu and Gallant were involved in using starvation as a method of murder and committing other inhumane acts against Palestinians, acts that are strictly prohibited under international law as outlined in the Rome Statute.

The recent U.S. sanctions targeted four additional ICC judges: Second Vice-President Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou, Judge Solomy Balungi Bossa, Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, and Judge Beti Hohler. These sanctions were a continuation from an earlier action against Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC.

The U.S. accuses the ICC of conducting "illegitimate and baseless actions" against it and Israel, setting a “dangerous precedent” that risks the safety and freedom of current and former U.S. personnel. Critics argue that these U.S. sanctions circumvent established legal norms and promote selective justice, ultimately threatening the integrity and efficacy of the international legal system.