New Actor: ICC Judges Sue Over U.S. Sanctions

Three sitting judges of the International Criminal Court filed a lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan challenging U.S. sanctions imposed on them under Executive Order 14203. The plaintiffs are Judges Kimberly Prost of Canada, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin. They seek to block enforcement of the sanctions and a declaration that the designations are unlawful, marking the first court challenge brought by ICC judges themselves.

The order declared a national emergency over ICC investigations involving U.S. nationals and allied countries such as Israel and authorizes asset freezes and travel restrictions. The judges argue the sanctions exceed the president’s authority under the emergency economic powers law, conflict with a 2002 statute that limits how the U.S. may respond to ICC cases, and are arbitrary and capricious. Prost and Bossa also say freezing their assets without proper procedures violates the Fifth Amendment.

The designations have blocked their U.S.-based property and accounts and bar U.S. entities from providing them funds, goods, or services. The complaint cites loss of credit cards, banking and common online platforms, difficulty booking travel, canceled speaking engagements in the United States, and, in some cases, loss of health insurance. The judges also say the restrictions prevent the submission of evidence and argument by U.S. persons in proceedings before them.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources