The US on Thursday placed sanctions on four judges at the International Criminal Court because of their efforts to investigate or arrest American and Israeli citizens.
The unprecedented move comes as retaliation over the ICC'S investigation into alleged war crimes by US troops in Afghanistan and the court's arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
The ICC condemned the move as a "clear attempt to undermine the independence of an international judicial institution ... [that] provides justice and hope to millions of victims of unimaginable atrocities".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump and his top diplomat on Friday for the move.
"Thank you President Trump and Secretary of State (Marco) Rubio for imposing sanctions against the politicised judges of the ICC," Mr Netanyahu wrote on social media. "You have justly stood up for the right of Israel, the United States and all democracies to defend themselves against savage terror."
The four judges are: Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibanez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia.
Mr Bossa and and Ms Ibanez Carranza ruled to authorise the ICC’s investigation against US personnel in Afghanistan.
Ms Alapini Gansou and Ms Hohler ruled to authorise the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants against Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant.
"As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. "The ICC is politicised and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies."
In February, The Hague-based court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was placed on Washington’s list of “Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons", barring him from doing business with Americans and placing restrictions on his entry into the US.
Mr Khan stepped aside last month pending an investigation into alleged sexual misconduct.
Neither the US nor Israel recognises the ICC, which issued an arrest warrant for Mr Netanyahu for alleged war crimes over his military response in Gaza after the Hamas-led attack against Israel in October 2023. Israel strongly denies the allegations.
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Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
