Three ICC Judges Sue US President Trump Over Executive Order Sanctioning Court Officials
Three judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump in the Southern District Federal Court of New York following his executive order imposing sanctions on ICC officials connected to cases involving Afghanistan and Palestine.
According to the lawsuit, judges Kimberly Prost, Solomy Balungi Bossa, and Rainn Alapini-Gansou argue that the executive order issued in February 2025 exceeded the legal authority of the US president and conflicts with both US domestic laws and international obligations.
The order came after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and continued investigations into alleged war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan. In response, the Trump administration declared a national emergency and imposed sanctions on officials involved in these cases, including travel bans and asset freezes.
The plaintiffs stated that these sanctions have had wide-ranging practical consequences for them, including frozen bank accounts, restricted access to technology services, and travel bans. They emphasized that such actions target the independence of an international judicial institution.
The complaint asserts that the executive order contradicts the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the National Emergencies Act, the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, and the Administrative Procedure Act, arguing that the president does not have the authority to sanction judges and prosecutors of an international judicial body.
At the time of issuing the order, Trump stated that neither the US nor Israel are members of the Rome Statute and therefore are not subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction. He also described the court’s actions as a threat to US sovereignty and national security.
