The European Union on Friday voiced strong support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) following Washington's imposition of sanctions on four of its judges.
The US sanctions, enacted by the administration of President Donald Trump, target four judges: Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia. These actions are in retaliation for the ICC's issuance of an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as a prior decision to investigate alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.
"The ICC holds perpetrators of the world’s gravest crimes to account and gives victims a voice. It must be free to act without pressure," stated European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen on social media platform X.
Echoing her sentiment, Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, affirmed the court as "a cornerstone of international justice" and stressed the imperative to safeguard its independence and integrity.
The US sanctions place the targeted judges on a list of specially designated sanctioned individuals, leading to blocked US assets and difficulties in international banking.
Thursday’s sanctions are in line with an executive order imposing sanctions on the ICC which President Trump signed in February. Trump's initial order suggested that US citizens providing services to sanctioned individuals could face civil and criminal penalties.
The ICC's governing body, representing its 125 member states, condemned the US government's decision in a statement on Thursday.
"These... are regrettable attempts to impede the Court and its personnel in the exercise of their independent judicial functions," the ICC said.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)