Trump Administration Sanctions 2 ICC Judges for Targeting Israel

ICC’s ‘politicized actions’ against Israel set a ‘dangerous precedent’ for all nations, Marco Rubio said.

An exterior view of the International Criminal Court in the Hague in the Netherlands, on March 31, 2021. Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sanctioned two judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Dec. 18, accusing them of being directly engaged in the “illegitimate targeting” of Israel.

The ICC, headquartered in The Hague in the Netherlands, recently ruled against Israel in a case related to its actions in Gaza.

The sanctioned judges are Erdenebalsuren Damdin from Mongolia and Gocha Lordkipanidze from the country of Georgia.

“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute Israeli nationals, without Israel’s consent, including voting with the majority in favor of the ICC’s ruling against Israel’s appeal on December 15,” Rubio said in a statement.

The secretary said that neither the United States nor Israel is part of the Rome Statute, the international treaty that founded the ICC, and therefore rejects the ICC’s jurisdiction.

Rubio said that the United States will continue to respond with “significant and tangible consequences to the ICC’s lawfare and overreach.”

“The ICC has continued to engage in politicized actions targeting Israel, which set a dangerous precedent for all nations. We will not tolerate ICC abuses of power that violate the sovereignty of the United States and Israel and wrongly subject U.S. and Israeli persons to the ICC’s jurisdiction,” he said.

The State Department sanctions follow an ICC decision on Dec. 15 to reject a legal challenge brought by Israel against the court’s probe into the nation’s conduct in the Gaza war. Both Damdin and Lordkipanidze were judges in the panel that reviewed the appeal.

On appeal, judges declined to overturn a lower court decision that the prosecution’s investigation into alleged crimes under its jurisdiction could include events following the deadly attack on Israel by the Hamas terrorist group on Oct. 7, 2023.

The ruling means the investigation continues, and the arrest warrants issued last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, Yoav Gallant, remain in place.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar (L) shake hands before meetings at the State Department in Washington on Dec. 10, 2025. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

In a Dec. 18 statement, the ICC rejected the new sanctions designations against the two judges.

The sanctions amount to a “flagrant attack” against an “impartial” judicial institution that operates per the mandate from several states worldwide, it said. In total, 125 nations are state parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC.

“Such measures targeting judges and prosecutors who were elected by the States Parties undermine the rule of law. When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” the ICC said.

“As previously stated, the Court stands firmly behind its personnel and behind victims of unimaginable atrocities. It will continue to carry out its mandate with independence and impartiality, in full accordance with the Rome Statute and in the interest of victims of international crimes.”

In his statement, Rubio had said that he sanctioned Lordkipanidze and Damdin pursuant to a Feb. 6 executive order signed by President Donald Trump.

In the order, Trump said he found the ICC engaged in “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the United States and close ally Israel.

He highlighted that the ICC has “no jurisdiction” over the United States or Israel.

“The ICC and parties to the Rome Statute must respect the decisions of the United States and other countries not to subject their personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction,” the order said.

“The United States will impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC’s transgressions,” including blocking the assets of ICC personnel and their immediate family members as well as suspending their entry into the United States, it stated.

On Aug. 20, the Trump administration announced sanctions on four other ICC officials, citing their actions against U.S. and Israeli nationals.

The Trump administration also imposed penalties on Karim Khan, a former ICC chief prosecutor who stepped down from his post in May amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Besides the United States and Israel, neither Russia nor China recognizes the authority of the ICC, which was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

Reuters contributed to this report.