“These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, they also target all those who support the Court, including nationals and corporate entities of States Parties.”

MANILA – Victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s so-called war on drugs decried the sanctions made by the United States government against the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

The sanction means that their assets in the US will be frozen and they will also be blocked from entering the US.

In a statement, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers and Rise Up for Land and for Rights said that the judges sanctioned by the US were targeted because of the ICC’s rulings against the US allies. They are Solomy Balungi Bossa and Luz Del Carmen Ibanez Carranza, both judges in ICC’s Appeals Division; Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou, and Beti Hohler, both judges in ICC’s Pre-Trial and Trial Division.  

The US Department of State said Judge Bosa and Judge Ibanez Carranza ruled to authorize the ICC’s investigation against the US personnel in Afghanistan for alleged war crimes. Meanwhile, Judge Alapini Gansou and Hohler ruled to authorize the ICC’s issuance of warrants of arrest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant. 

Judge Alapini Gansou, according to the NUPL, is also involved in the Duterte case. 

In February this year, Trump also imposed sanctions against ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan.

“Courts, through judges, should perform their duties free of influence or control by other actors, and make decisions according to the law. This is a fundamental precept all over the world, and a core element of a fair and prompt trial,” the NUPL said in a statement. 

The NUPL added that the sanctions against the ICC judges potentially covers thousands of others working or cooperating with the court. “This includes people working on the Duterte case – prosecutors, investigators, lawyers, witnesses, and so forth. They would not be able to travel to the US or maintain property there. This is at the least, inconvenient; at worst, disruptive and obstructive,” the NUPL’s statement read. 

For the families of the victims of Duterte’s anti-illegal drug campaign, the ICC is the only arena at present, to enforce their right to know what, how, and why things happened in the “war on drugs”. 

“The right to truth is an inalienable and autonomous right that the government must respect and fulfill in order to protect and guarantee human rights, to conduct effective investigations, to guarantee effective remedy and reparations, and, perhaps more urgently, to prevent the recurrence of rights violations,” the statement read. 

Read: Why kin of drug war victims charged Duterte for mass murder before ICC

The ICC, on the other hand, criticized the US sanctions, saying that it is “a clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution which operates under the mandate from 125 States Parties” worldwide. 

“The ICC provides justice and hope to millions of victims of unimaginable atrocities, in strict adherence to the Rome Statute, and maintains the highest standards in protecting the rights of suspects and the victims,” the ICC said in a statement. 

The ICC added, “Targeting those working for accountability does nothing to help civilians trapped in conflict. It only emboldens those who believe they can act with impunity. These sanctions are not only directed at designated individuals, they also target all those who support the Court, including nationals and corporate entities of States Parties.” 

“They are aimed against innocent victims in all Situations before the Court, as well as the rule of law, peace, security and the prevention of the gravest crimes that shock the conscience of humanity,” the ICC said 

The Court said that they stand fully behind its personnel and will continue its work “in strict accordance with the Rome Statute and the principles of fairness and due process, with a view to bringing justice to victims of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.” 

In the case of Duterte, reports said that the ICC prosecutors have submitted a seventh batch of evidence against the former president. The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 has given the Prosecution until July 1 to disclose all evidence it will use for the scheduled hearing on confirmation of charges on Sept. 23. (RVO)