By Emmanuel Nduka Obisue
Canadian judge Kimberly Prost said she was shocked to learn she had been placed under US sanctions, a list that also includes individuals accused of terrorism and organised crime. The sanctions led to the cancellation of her credit cards and the closure of her Amazon and Google accounts, making routine activities such as booking travel and making payments difficult.
“These are coercive measures designed to attack our ability to do our jobs objectively and independently,” Prost said, describing the move as a “direct and flagrant attack” on the Hague-based court.
Since returning to office last year, Trump’s administration has sanctioned 11 ICC officials, including the court’s chief prosecutor and eight judges. The measures include travel bans to the US and penalties for American companies that provide services to those targeted.
In an executive order, Trump accused the ICC of pursuing “illegitimate and baseless actions” against the US and its ally Israel, referring to investigations involving American and Israeli officials. Neither country is a signatory to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the court.
The sanctions prompted 79 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Denmark, Mexico and Nigeria, to issue a joint statement backing the ICC, warning that the measures threaten international rule of law and risk fostering impunity for serious crimes.
Peruvian judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza said the US sanctions had far-reaching consequences due to America’s central role in the global financial system. Shortly after being sanctioned, her Dutch bank cancelled her credit card. She also revealed that her daughter’s US visa and Google account were revoked, despite having no connection to the court.
Ibáñez Carranza had previously been tried in absentia by a Russian court after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the invasion of Ukraine.
Despite the personal toll, both judges said the sanctions would not deter them. “These measures are completely futile,” Prost said, vowing that the court would continue to operate independently and deliver justice for victims of war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity worldwide.
