PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SANCTIONS ICC JUDGES

Written by Michael Thervil

(L-R) International Criminal Court Justices Beti Hohler, Reine Alapini-Gansou, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza and Solomy Balungi Bossa. (ICC)

[President Donald Trump Sanctions ICC Judges] The Trump Administration has issued several sanctions on court justices of the International Criminal Court (yesterday) for authorizing the warrant of arrests of both former Israeli Defense Minister  Yoav Gallant, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and for the investigation of the IDF’s crime of genocide against the people of Gaza and greater Palestine. President Trump has called the ICC “a political institution masquerading as a legal body”.  ICC Judges, Beti Hohler (Slovenia), Ibanez Carranza (Peru), Balungi Bossa (Uganda), and Reine Adelaida Sophie Alapini Gansou (Berlin) are the latest ICC Judges to fall victim to the Trump Administration's sanctions.

Although the previous Trump Administration has issued sanctions against several other ICC Judges before, the newest rounds of American sanctions on the ICC will block, if it seizes any and all of their US-based assets and properties. The latest round of American sanctions on ICC Judges also includes the seizure or blocking of any funds, goods, and services rendered to them. It should also be noted that American based businesses and entities are forbidden from conducting any kinds of business transactions with the sanctioned ICC Judges as well.

While the ICC has jurisdiction in over 125 countries, the United States and Israel are not amongst them. What exempts both America and Israel from being subjected to being under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court is the fact that they are not a part of what is known as the “Rome Statute”. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated to the American Press that:

“The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies. This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel.”

But for many people the world overtakes issue with that statement for several reasons. The first reason revolves around America's position on Iran's ability to build a nuclear weapon or to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. What about Iran's sovereign right to enrich and use uranium at their discretion and their  right to ensure their own national security interest which is upheld by all international standards. Secondly, U.S. Secretary of state Marco Rubio stated that the ICC has “engaged in politicized and falsely claimed unfettered discretion to investigate, charge and prosecute” people of other nations.

If the U.S. Secretary of State is raising this as an issue, then why not raise the issue of America seizing and essentially stealing the access and funds of Russian oligarchs and the weaponization of international sanctions against people and countries who dare resist the bullying tactics of America? isn’t that an abuse of power and the infringing on other people and countries rights on the count of America? While America and Israel challenges the legal authority of the ICC, which they most certainly can do, it doesn’t stop the rest of the world from challenging Americas culpability in Israel genocidal war which has led to the killing of over 50,000 Palestinians and it most certainly don't stop the rest of the world from challenging Israel on manufacturing the current famine within Gaza and greater Palestine.

The question is how many countries that make up the 120 plus countries that are subjected to the ICC will help enforce the Trump Administration sanctions towards the ICC? Only time will tell as it usually always does.