The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Wednesday, the 20th, that new sanctions imposed by the United States on judges and prosecutors of the Court are a "blatant attack" on its independence.
"These sanctions constitute a flagrant attack on the independence of an impartial judicial institution," said a statement from the court, based in The Hague.
The sanctions affect French judge Nicolas Guillou, who is presiding over a case for which an arrest warrant was issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
A Canadian judge, Kimberly Prost, was also sanctioned. She participated in a case that authorized an investigation into alleged crimes committed during the war in Afghanistan, a case involving US forces.
This Wednesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that two deputy prosecutors were also sanctioned: Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.
These sanctions include a ban on entry into the United States and the freezing of assets in that jurisdiction.
The ICC maintained that it "firmly supports its personnel and the victims of unimaginable atrocities." It also affirmed that it will continue to fulfill its mandate, regardless of "restrictions, pressure, or threats."
The United States has already imposed sanctions this year against four other judges of the international tribunal and one prosecutor.
A spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry expressed its “dismay” at the sanctions, which affect, among others, the French magistrate, and stated that these measures are “contrary to the principle of judicial independence”.