3 ICC judges file lawsuit against Trump

Three judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump and his administration. They have taken this legal action challenging the sanctions imposed on them last year. The judges claim that the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration are illegal. Al Jazeera reports.

Canadian Judge Kimberly Prost, Ugandan Judge Salome Balungi Bosa and Benin Judge Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou filed the case in a federal court in Manhattan, New York on Wednesday (June 24). They said that these sanctions were imposed with the aim of punishing the judges and putting pressure on them.

Last year, the Trump administration imposed unprecedented sanctions on several ICC judges. The move against the ICC judges comes despite the issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the approval of a case to investigate allegations of war crimes against US troops in Afghanistan.

The sanctions freeze or freeze the judges’ assets and properties in the United States. In addition, US-based individuals and entities are ordered to refrain from establishing any business relationship with them, including financial transactions, the provision of funds, goods or services.

Established in 2002, the ICC has international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in its member states. In addition, the ICC can conduct judicial proceedings in cases referred to it by the UN Security Council.

Currently, the ICC has the power to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in 125 member states. However, several countries, including the United States, China, Russia and Israel, do not recognize the court’s authority.

The lawsuit documents state, "The sanctions are designed to target the financial and personal interests of the judges and their colleagues on the ICC bench to exert extrajudicial pressure. The purpose is to punish them for previous judicial decisions and to force them to prioritize personal interests over rulings based on the law and the facts."