UN special rapporteur urges US to lift sanctions on ICC judges, prosecutors

The UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers in a statement on Monday urged the US to immediately withdraw sanctions imposed on judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and to repeal Executive Order 14203 issued in February 2025, Anadolu reports.

The call follows a fresh round of sanctions designations issued on Dec. 18, which brought the total number of sanctioned ICC judges and prosecutors to 10.

“Sanctions targeting ICC justice personnel strike at the very heart of the promise born of the Rome Statute and the Nuremberg and Tokyo trials: a foundational pledge that no atrocity would go unanswered by international justice,” said Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.

Ahead of the opening of the ICC’s judicial year, Satterthwaite called for renewed political and financial support for the court, saying: “Sanctions send a chilling message to victims of atrocities and their advocates, who rely on judges and prosecutors for accountability, repair and reparation.”

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She also expressed concern that nongovernmental organizations have been sanctioned and that victims themselves may fear punishment under the US sanctions regime, noting that it allows for civil and criminal penalties, including imprisonment, in some cases.

“Judges, prosecutors and all those engaged in the enforcement of the rule of law and accountability for international crimes must not be subjected to intimidation, reprisals or punishment for carrying out their professional duties,” she said. “Threats of prosecution, or administrative, economic or other coercive measures targeting them for the legitimate exercise of their functions, are an unacceptable assault on judicial independence, a deliberate obstruction of justice, and a grave threat to the rule of law and international accountability.”

Noting that she has communicated her concerns to US authorities, Satterthwaite urged the international community to act decisively to ensure that justice personnel are able to perform their professional functions “without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or interference.”

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