UN Human Rights Chief Condemns US Sanctions on ICC Judges

2025-06-11 05:42:13

(MENAFN) The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, expressed strong concern on Friday over the United States’ decision to impose punitive measures on four judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Turk stated he is “profoundly disturbed” by the sanctions, emphasizing that such actions undermine foundational legal principles.

In a formal declaration, Turk warned that “attacks against judges for performance of their judicial functions, at national or international levels, run directly counter to respect for the rule of law and the equal protection of the law – values for which the US has long stood.”

He underscored the importance of judicial independence and the dangers posed by political interference in legal processes.

Turk urged the US government to engage in the “prompt reconsideration and withdrawal” of the measures imposed against the judges, who had been involved in decisions concerning Afghanistan and Palestine.

He argued that these punitive actions erode trust in governance and threaten the fair execution of justice.

“Such attacks are deeply corrosive of good governance and the due administration of justice," he remarked.

The previous day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that the judges had been added to the sanctions registry. He accused them of overstepping their authority and infringing upon the national sovereignty of both the United States and Israel.

“These four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC's illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel," Rubio stated.

He further criticized the court for being politically motivated and exceeding its jurisdiction by targeting nationals from allied nations.

Rubio appealed to other countries that back the ICC to resist what he characterized as an unjustified offensive against the US and Israel.

His remarks follow the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The court accused both officials of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during military operations in Gaza.

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