Rubio Slaps Sanctions On International Judges For ‘Baseless Actions Targeting America,’ Israel

The Trump administration issued sanctions against four International Criminal Court (ICC) judges, citing “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the U.S. and Israel.

On Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against four ICC judges —  Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin and Beti Hohler of Slovenia — who authorized arrest warrants for Israeli officials, and supported investigations targeting U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. In a press release, Rubio described these actions as an “abuse of power” and accused the judges of being politically motivated.

“As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel. The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies,” Rubio said in a statement. “This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringe upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel.”

Bossa and Ibanez Carranza approved the formal investigation into alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The other two judges — Gansou and Hohler — ruled to authorize the arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024 after determining that both men committed war crimes while overseeing Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza.