UN and ICC respond to US sanctions against International Criminal Court officials

He clarified that the UN and ICC are separate institutions with distinct mandates. The ICC, in a statement, condemned the US sanctions as a "blatant attack" on the independence of an impartial judicial institution. These sanctions bring the total number of ICC judges targeted by Washington to nine, with two deputy prosecutors, a former prosecutor, and a staff member also sanctioned.

The Court believes these measures undermine the rule of law and could affect victims' ability to seek justice, especially after exhausting other remedies. The US decision comes as the ICC conducts investigations into alleged international crimes, including those related to the conflict in Gaza. The United States and Israel are not parties to the Rome Statute and do not recognize the Court's jurisdiction.

Washington had previously sanctioned the ICC, including its former prosecutor Karim Khan, after he sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the Court of being a "corrupt" and "politicized" institution, stating that the sanctioned officials participated in efforts to investigate officials whose governments have not accepted the ICC's jurisdiction. Last month, the US State Depa