Three ICC Judges Sue Trump Over 2025 Sanctions, Citing Frozen Accounts and Blocked Travel
Updated
Updated · courthousenews.com · Jun 24
Three ICC Judges Sue Trump Over 2025 Sanctions, Citing Frozen Accounts and Blocked Travel
3 articles · Updated · courthousenews.com · Jun 24
Summary
A 66-page lawsuit filed in Manhattan seeks to void Trump’s Feb. 6, 2025 sanctions order, remove Kimberly Prost, Solomy Bossa and Reine Alapini-Gansou from the U.S. list, and unfreeze any property.
The judges say the measures hit them for rulings in ICC cases—Prost and Bossa over a 2020 Afghanistan decision, Alapini-Gansou over warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant—and were meant to pressure future decisions.
HSBC, the United Nations Federal Credit Union, Amazon, Google and Expedia are among institutions the judges say froze, restricted or closed accounts and services, while blocked transfers, travel problems and lost health insurance disrupted their lives.
Their complaint argues Trump exceeded powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and also violated due process and the Administrative Procedure Act by punishing judges for carrying out judicial duties.
The case is the first brought by sanctioned ICC judges themselves, after earlier suits won protections for Americans providing speech-based services to the court; the Justice Department is expected to respond next.
Can US courts overrule presidential sanctions on international judges, and what does this mean for global accountability?
With nations withdrawing and its staff suspended, can the International Criminal Court survive this challenge from a global superpower?
Are US sanctions creating 'digital sieges' that punish civilians far more than the powerful figures they actually target?
The 2026 ICC Judges’ Lawsuit Against Trump’s Sanctions: A Turning Point for International Law
Overview
In June 2026, three International Criminal Court (ICC) judges filed a lawsuit against former U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration, directly challenging the legality of U.S. sanctions imposed on the ICC. These sanctions began in February 2025, targeting the court’s investigations into actions by Israelis and Americans, and escalated over time, with more judges being sanctioned for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. The lawsuit seeks to address the core issues of the sanctions program, which has severely impacted the ICC’s ability to function and the professional lives of its judges.