GENEVA: The United Nations on Thursday urged the United States to end its rounds of reprisals after Washington imposed further sanctions on International Criminal Court judges.

The US imposed sanctions on two more ICC judges and two prosecutors on Wednesday, including from allies France and Canada, in a new effort to hobble the tribunal, particularly over its actions against Israel.

“The relentless intensification of US reprisals against international institutions and their personnel must stop,” UN human rights chief Volker Turk said in a statement.

Turk said sanctioning ICC staff who were fulfilling their mandates was “an assault on the rule of law and corrodes justice” and called for all the measures to be withdrawn.

“In the meantime, I call on states to take immediate steps to protect all of (the sanctioned individuals), including by taking measures to encourage corporations operating within their jurisdiction not to implement the sanctions,” he said.

“States need to step up to defend the institutions they have created to uphold and defend human rights and the rule of law. Those working to document, investigate and prosecute serious violations of international law should not have to work in fear.”

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2025