Washington, DC – The United States has issued a new round of sanctions against staff members at the International Criminal Court, citing a recent ruling blocking Israel’s effort to halt a Gaza war crimes investigation.Thursday’s sanctions target two judges: Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listIn a statement, US Secretary of State Rubio said the judges “have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent”.He also faulted Lordkipanidze and Damdin for “voting with the majority” on December 15, when the ICC rejected Israel’s attempt to pause the war crimes probe.The US is Israel’s ally and has supported its genocidal war in Gaza by continuing to supply the country with billions in military and economic aid.“The ICC has continued to engage in politicized actions targeting Israel, which set a dangerous precedent for all nations,” Rubio said in the statement.The sanctions are the latest in a series of economic restrictions the administration of US President Donald Trump has placed on ICC members and their associates.Critics warn such actions could chill investigations across the world and have wide-ranging implications for prosecutors, judges and even witnesses.In February, for instance, the Trump administration issued broad sanctions targeting ICC staff and anyone assisting the court’s investigations against the US and its allies.The Trump White House continued by issuing individual sanctions against judges and prosecutors …
