The European Union on Friday firmly defended the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the United States imposed sanctions on four of its judges, including one from an EU member state, in response to the court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took to X (formerly Twitter) to reaffirm the bloc’s support for the Hague-based tribunal, stating:
“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.”
Her remarks came amid growing international condemnation of the U.S. sanctions, which were announced by the administration of former President Donald Trump. The sanctions target four ICC judges: Solomy Balungi Bossa (Uganda), Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza (Peru), Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou (Benin), and Beti Hohler (Slovenia).
The punitive measures place the judges on the U.S. list of specially designated nationals, freezing any assets they may hold in the United States and severely restricting their access to global banking services. Under the order, U.S. citizens who provide services to the sanctioned individuals may also face civil or criminal penalties.
European Council President Antonio Costa called the ICC “a cornerstone of international justice,” stressing that its independence and integrity must be safeguarded from political retaliation.
The sanctions have particularly angered Slovenia, whose national, Judge Beti Hohler, is among those targeted. In response, Slovenia announced it would press the EU to immediately invoke its “blocking statute”—a legal tool that prevents European companies from complying with foreign sanctions deemed extraterritorial or unlawful by the EU.
“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,” Slovenia’s foreign ministry posted on X late Thursday.
The EU’s blocking statute has previously been used to shield European entities from U.S. sanctions affecting trade with Iran and Cuba.
The Trump administration has long criticized the ICC, particularly its investigations into alleged war crimes by U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. The new sanctions, however, mark a sharp escalation in tensions, coming in direct response to the court’s controversial decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders over the ongoing Gaza conflict.
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