US Sanctions 2 More ICC Judges for Israel-Related Probe
The U.S. this week sanctioned two International Criminal Court judges, Gocha Lordkipanidze of Georgia and Erdenebalsuren Damdin of Mongolia, after accusing them of aiding the court's "politicized actions" against Israel. The State Department said the judges are helping the ICC "investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent." They also voted in favor of the ICC’s ruling against Israel’s appeal on Dec. 15. The ICC is investigating the Israeli government for committing alleged war crimes against civilians in Gaza.
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The State Department said "we will not tolerate ICC abuses of power that violate the sovereignty of the United States and Israel and wrongly subject U.S. and Israeli persons to the ICC’s jurisdiction." It "will continue to respond with significant and tangible consequences to the ICC’s lawfare and overreach."
The Office of Foreign Assets Control also issued ICC-related General License 11, which authorizes certain wind-down transactions with Lordkipanidze, Damdin and any entity they own by 50% or more. Those transactions are authorized through 12:01 a.m. ET on Jan. 17.
The U.S. has previously sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors for investigating, arresting or prosecuting people from foreign countries without those countries' "consent," including judges who have authorized arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza (see 2508200013).