US sanctions four ICC judges and prosecutors: 'The court is a threat to national security'

(AFP) The United States on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four more judges and prosecutors at the International Criminal Court (ICC), including judges from allied countries such as France and Canada.

"The court is a national security threat that has been an instrument of legal warfare against the United States and our close ally Israel," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

Rubio claimed the four judges attempted to investigate or prosecute citizens of the United States or Israel "without the consent of either nation."

A French judge close to the Obama administration among those sanctioned

The ICC, in its own communiqué, denounced the "flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution."

The sanctions affect French judge Nicolas Guillou, who is presiding over a case in which an arrest warrant was issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The case was brought by the State of Palestine, which is not recognized by Washington but has acceded to the statute established by the court in The Hague.

Guillou, a veteran judge, worked for several years in the United States assisting the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the presidency of Barack Obama (2009-2017). He also participated in trials linked to Kosovo and Lebanon.

Under the sanctions, the United States will ban ICC judges from entering its territory and block any property they own there.

France reacts to the sanctions

France, whose president, Emmanuel Macron was in Washington two days earlier, expressed its "dismay" at the move.

The sanctions are "contrary to the principle of the independence of justice," a French Foreign Ministry spokesman said.

Netanyahu praised Rubio's remarks

For his part, Netanyahu praised Rubio for his "decisive act against a campaign of smears and lies against the State of Israel" and the Israeli Army.