WASHINGTON: The United States has imposed sanctions on two additional judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) following the court’s rejection of Israel’s appeal related to alleged war crimes in Gaza dating back to October 2023.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Judge Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia have been added to the sanctions list under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in February.
Rubio accused the judges of participating in what he described as “unlawful actions” by the ICC aimed at targeting Israel.
According to the U.S. State Department, the sanctioned judges played a direct role in ICC efforts to pursue investigations, arrests, or legal proceedings against Israeli citizens without Israel’s consent. Rubio stated that both judges voted in favor of the majority decision on December 15 to reject Israel’s appeal.
The sanctions were imposed after the ICC Appeals Chamber dismissed Israel’s request to annul arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The ICC judges ruled that investigations into alleged crimes committed in Gaza after October 7, 2023, fall within the scope of a notice previously issued to Israel in 2021, and therefore did not require a new notification under the Rome Statute.
The United States has criticized the ICC’s actions as politically motivated, arguing that the court is unfairly singling out Israel. The move marks a further escalation in tensions between Washington and the international court over its jurisdiction and handling of cases involving Israel.
