ICC Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem sanctioned by U.S.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Fijian prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan, alongside three other International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, for their roles in probes into alleged war crimes by U.S. and Israeli officials.

The Trump administration on Wednesday announced penalties targeting two judges and two prosecutors, saying they were instrumental in efforts to prosecute Americans and Israelis.

As a result, any assets they hold in U.S. jurisdictions have been frozen.

“These individuals are foreign persons who directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without the consent of either nation,” said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

He added that the administration would continue “to take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our troops, our sovereignty, and our allies from the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions.”

The new sanctions apply to ICC judges Kimberly Proust of Canada and Nicolas Guillou of France, and prosecutors Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.

The sanctions were swiftly condemned by the ICC and the United Nations.

The Hague-based court described them as “a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution” and “an affront against the Court’s states parties, the rules-based international order and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world.”

United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the ICC has the full support of the global body.

“We firmly believe that the ICC is a key pillar of international criminal justice, and we respect their work,” he said.

“The decision imposes severe impediments on the functioning of the office of the prosecutor in respect for all the situations that are currently before the court.”

Israel welcomed the U.S. move, with Netanyahu praising Washington’s stance.