ICC judges sue Trump over sanctions, call measures unlawful

Judges argue sanctions aimed to punish and coerce ICC decisions on US and Israeli war crimes cases.Three International Criminal Court judges are suing United States President Donald Trump and his administration over sanctions imposed on them last year, arguing the measures were unlawful.In the lawsuit ‌filed in the federal court in Manhattan on Wednesday, judges Kimberly Prost of Canada, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda and Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou of Benin said the sanctions were designed to exert extrajudicial pressure with the objective of punishing and coercing the judges.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3New Zealand great Kane Williamson retires from international cricketlist 2 of 3‘Not in my name’: The Jewish communities fighting the consensus on Israellist 3 of 3Trump touts Iran deal and Ukraine ambition as he arrives at G7end of listThe Trump administration imposed sanctions on several judges at the ICC last year in an unprecedented retaliation over the tribunal’s issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a past decision to open a case into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.As a result of the sanctions, the judges saw their US-based property and assets blocked. US-based entities were also forbidden from engaging in transactions with them, including through the “provision of funds, goods or services”.The ICC, which was established in 2002, has international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in member states or if a situation is referred by the UN Security Council.Although the ICC has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in its 125 member countries, some nations, including the US, China, Russia, and Israel, do not recognise ‌its authority.During Trump’s first term, his administration imposed sanctions on the ICC’s top prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and one of her aides over the court’s work on Afghanistan.