Three sitting International Criminal Court (ICC) judges sue the Trump administration in federal court in New York, arguing that they are being punished with sanctions for their judicial work. According to reports, a US District Court summons issued in the Southern District of New York orders President Donald Trump to respond within 60 days to a complaint filed on Thursday by ICC judges Kimberly Prost, Solomy Balungi Bossa and Reine Alapini-Gansou. The judges contend the sanctions amount to an attack on judicial independence. The court filing identifies the Trump administration as well as senior officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. It also names the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and its director, Bradley Smith, which maintains the sanctions list.
One outlet reports that the dispute centers on sanctions imposed on ICC figures following their involvement with arrest-warrant-related actions concerning Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu and Yo’av Gallant. The lawsuit seeks legal review of the sanctions and challenges their basis as retaliation for ICC investigations.
