Oppose US Sanctions Against International Criminal Court Judges

Your support for Donald Trump's policies has contributed to actions that undermine America's standing in the world. The recent US sanctions against International Criminal Court judges represent an unprecedented attack on international justice that damages our credibility and isolates us from our allies. In August, Canadian Judge Kimberly Prost was sanctioned simply for authorizing an investigation into possible atrocities in Afghanistan in 2020, including by US troops. The US has now sanctioned six ICC judges this year, along with the court's chief prosecutor and two deputy prosecutors. These sanctions don't just freeze assets. They have paralyzed Judge Prost's daily life, canceling her Amazon account, eliminating all her credit cards regardless of where they were issued, and making basic transactions like sending a wedding gift impossible for weeks. Sanctioned ICC staff from Senegal, Benin, Peru, Fiji, and Uganda cannot send money to their families because transactions route through the US system. Judge Prost previously served as the ombudsperson for the UN Security Council's al-Qaeda sanctions, helping people get off sanctions lists. Now she finds herself on a list alongside people implicated in terrorism and organized crime, simply for doing her job as a judge. She describes this as a direct attack on judicial independence, stating that the US is effectively interfering with the independence of a judge based on decisions taken in her judicial role. The Rome Statute establishing the ICC in 1998 was the culmination of a century of efforts to ensure accountability for the worst crimes. By sanctioning judges for performing their duties, the US sends a message that powerful countries are exempt from accountability. This undermines the rule of law and emboldens authoritarian regimes worldwide. I urge you to publicly oppose these sanctions and support legislation to reverse them. Our nation's credibility depends on upholding international justice, not attacking it.