The International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing unprecedented pressure as judges and prosecutors experience the broad effects of US sanctions targeting the court over investigations into alleged war crimes by Israeli and US officials.

Staff affected include six judges and the chief prosecutor, who report being cut off from basic financial services, online shopping platforms, and tech services, including Amazon and credit card providers. The sanctions also prevent them from entering the United States.

Canadian ICC judge Kimberly Prost described the sanctions as severely limiting her everyday life:

“Your whole world is restricted… I’ve worked all my life in criminal justice, and now I’m on a list with those implicated in terrorism and organised crime.”

The Trump administration imposed the sanctions in response to the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.

Daily Impact on ICC Officials

• Financial restrictions: Loss of access to credit cards and banking services.
• Tech disruption: Purchased e-books disappearing from devices, services like Amazon Alexa becoming non-functional.
• Travel limitations: Judges and family members barred from attending international conferences in the US.

Deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan highlighted the uncertainty these sanctions create, noting that “You’re never quite sure when your card is not working somewhere, whether this is just a glitch or whether it’s the sanction.”

Threats and Political Pressure

Sanctions are not the only measure against the ICC. The court has reportedly faced threats over the Netanyahu and Gallant warrants:

• Chief prosecutor Karim Khan was warned he and the ICC could be “destroyed” if the warrants were not withdrawn.
• Prior warnings reportedly came from international figures, including former UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron and US Senator Lindsey Graham.

Despite these pressures, ICC officials continue to assert their independence, even as some have temporarily stepped aside amid unrelated internal investigations.

The ICC, headquartered in The Hague, is a permanent tribunal with 125 member states. Neither Israel nor the United States is a member, making the sanctions a rare and controversial extraterritorial measure.