The European Union has voiced strong support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) following the United States’ imposition of sanctions on four ICC judges.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed deep regret over the U.S. actions, stating, “The ICC holds perpetrators of the world’s gravest crimes to account & gives victims a voice. It must be free to act without pressure.”
The sanctions, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, target judges Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia, citing their alleged “illegitimate and baseless actions” against the U.S. and its allies.
The EU, alongside United Nations Human Rights Chief Volker Turk, criticized the measures as undermining judicial independence and the rule of law.
Slovenia, responding to the inclusion of its citizen Beti Hohler on the sanctions list, urged the EU to activate its blocking statute to nullify the U.S. measures within Europe.
“Due to the inclusion of a citizen of an EU member state on the sanctions list, Slovenia will propose the immediate activation of the blocking act,” the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated.
This mechanism, previously used to counter U.S. sanctions on trade with Cuba and Iran, would prevent European companies from complying with what Brussels considers unlawful restrictions.
Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, reinforced the EU’s stance, calling the ICC “a cornerstone of international justice” whose independence must be safeguarded.
The U.S. sanctions stem from ICC decisions, including an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a 2020 investigation into alleged U.S. war crimes in Afghanistan.
The measures place the judges on a list that blocks their U.S. assets and restricts their global banking access. U.S. President Donald Trump defended the sanctions, claiming the ICC’s actions threaten “thriving democracies” like the U.S. and Israel.
Critics, including Turk, warned that such attacks on judges are “deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice.”
The ICC’s governing body also condemned the U.S. move, calling it a regrettable attempt to impede the court’s independent functions.