Imposing Further Sanctions in Response to the ICC’s Ongoing Threat to Americans and Israelis

Today, the United States is sanctioning four individuals, currently serving on the International Criminal Court (ICC).  The Department of State’s designations are made pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14203, which authorizes sanctions on foreign persons engaged in certain malign efforts by the ICC and aims to impose tangible and significant consequences on those directly engaged in the ICC’s transgressions against the United States and Israel. 

The Department is designating the following individuals pursuant to section 1(a)(ii)(A) of E.O. 14203, for having directly engaged in any effort by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute a protected person without consent of that person’s country of nationality:

• KIMBERLY PROST, Judge, Trial Division, International Criminal Court
• NICOLAS YANN GUILLOU, Judge, Trial Division, International Criminal Court
• NAZHAT SHAMEEM KHAN, Deputy Prosecutor, International Criminal Court
• MAME MANDIAYE NIANG, Deputy Prosecutor, International Criminal Court

Prost is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC’s investigation into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan.  Guillou is being designated for ruling to authorize the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant.

Deputy Prosecutors Shameem Khan and Niang are being designated for continuing to support illegitimate ICC actions against Israel, including upholding the ICC’s arrest warrants targeting Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant since they assumed leadership for the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor.

Sanctions Implications

As a result of today’s sanctions-related actions, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned persons described above that are in the United States or in possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).  Additionally, all individuals or entities that are owned, either directly or indirectly, individually or in the aggregate, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked.

All transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons are prohibited unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC or exempt.  These prohibitions include the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any blocked person and the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Petitions for removal from the SDN List may be sent to: OFAC.Reconsideration@treasury.gov.  Petitioners may also refer to the Department of State’s Delisting Guidance page.