ICC judges sue Trump administration in US court over sanctions

Three judges from the International Criminal Court filed a lawsuit in Manhattan federal court against US President Donald Trump and his administration, arguing the sanctions imposed on them are unlawful.

Scraper SystemJune 25, 2026, 02:47 PM

ICC judges sue Trump administration in US court over sanctions

Judges Kimberly Prost, Solomy Balungi Bossa and Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou of the International Criminal Court (ICC) filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump and his administration in Manhattan federal court. The suit argues that the sanctions imposed on the judges last year are unlawful.

Reason for sanctions

Last year, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on several judges in retaliation for the ICC's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its investigation into alleged war crimes committed by US soldiers in Afghanistan.

'Financial death penalty'

The lawsuit states that the sanctions exceed the scope of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and are not based on a genuine national emergency or extraordinary threat. The judges described the sanctions as a "financial death penalty."

Due to the sanctions, the judges cannot use credit cards, access banking services, benefit from platforms such as Amazon and Google, make travel reservations, or obtain health insurance in some cases.

Ban on presenting evidence

The petition further emphasizes that the sanctions prevent the judges from presenting evidence and opinions in ongoing or future cases.

While the ICC has 125 member states, several countries, including the US, China, Russia and Israel, do not recognize the court's authority. The Trump administration had also imposed sanctions on former ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in 2020 due to the Afghanistan investigation.