The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed strong condemnation of the recent U.S. sanctions targeting four judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a statement released on Friday, Mr. Türk described these sanctions as “deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice.”
The sanctions were announced on Thursday by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, specifically aimed at ICC judges involved in cases related to alleged war crimes. These cases include a 2020 incident concerning U.S. and Afghan military actions in Afghanistan, as well as arrest warrants issued in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
“I am profoundly disturbed by the decision of the U.S. Government to sanction judges of the International Criminal Court,” Mr. Türk stated. He highlighted that the four judges—women from Benin, Peru, Slovenia, and Uganda—are engaged in adjudicating matters concerning Afghanistan and Palestine.
He urged for an immediate reconsideration and withdrawal of the sanctions, arguing that they undermine the rule of law and the principles that the U.S. has historically championed.
Mr. Türk’s comments followed a robust statement from the ICC on Thursday, which condemned the sanctions as an attempt to undermine judicial independence.
The ICC functions under the auspices of 125 States Parties worldwide, reaffirming its global mandate. On Friday, the Assembly of States Parties, the court’s legislative body, echoed these concerns, denouncing the U.S. sanctions.
They cautioned that such measures could jeopardise global accountability efforts, weaken the pursuit of justice, and erode the rules-based international order.