Three judges at the International Criminal Court filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in federal court in Manhattan against US President Donald Trump and his administration, arguing that sanctions imposed on them last year were unlawful.
The plaintiffs are Kimberly Prost of Canada, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, and Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini-Gansou of Benin. The judges said the measures were designed to exert pressure on them and punish them for their judicial work.
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In a lawsuit filed today, the Open Society Justice Initiative @OSFJustice is representing Kimberly Prost, one of the International Criminal Court (ICC) judges who are subject to U.S. sanctions issued by the Trump administration.
— Open Society Foundations (@OpenSociety) June 24, 2026
The suit challenges the legality of these… pic.twitter.com/zbyXCySk0K
Sanctions and the judges' case
The lawsuit says the sanctions were meant to coerce ICC judges and influence their decisions. The filing described the sanctions regime as designed to exert “extra-judicial pressure” and said the judges were being targeted for prior rulings.
It also said the sanctions amounted to the “financial death penalty,” claiming they left the judges unable to use credit cards, access banking services, book travel and, in some cases, obtain health insurance.
Why the sanctions were imposed
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on ICC judges last year after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and had previously opened a case into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan.
The suit argues that the sanctions exceeded the scope of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and were not tied to a genuine national emergency or extraordinary threat.
Reuters said the State and Treasury departments and the White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Imagine being a judge and getting sanctioned because Trump admin didn't like your ruling, well.. this is basically, "You sanctioned us for our ruling, see you in court."
— Conscious Stranger (@aware_wanderer) June 25, 2026
Three judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have filed a lawsuit in the federal court in… pic.twitter.com/OZ0wwF6KEr
The wider legal battle
The International Criminal Court, established in 2002, has jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in its member states, though the US does not recognize its authority.
Reuters noted that the clash echoes Trump’s first term, when Washington sanctioned then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and one of her aides over the court’s Afghanistan work. The new case adds another legal front to the long-running dispute between the ICC and the Trump administration over the court’s reach and the limits of US power.
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FAQs
Q1: Why are ICC judges suing the Trump administration?
Ans: The judges say the US sanctions imposed on them were unlawful and interfered with their independent judicial duties.
Q2: Why did the Trump administration sanction ICC judges?
Ans: The sanctions followed ICC actions involving alleged war crimes in Afghanistan and arrest warrants related to Israeli officials.
