politics
ICC judges sue Trump over sanctions imposed for case involving U.S. troops in Afghanistan
Cbc reported that Winnipeg-born International Criminal Court judge Kimberly Prost and two colleagues filed suit June 24, 2025, against President Trump and his administration. The action challenges sanctions imposed nearly a year earlier over her work on an Afghanistan case. Canada has declined to criticize the measures or confirm whether it will file supporting documents.
Jul 11, 5:24 PM·1m read1 source
globalnews.caAudio version
Tap play to generate a narrated version.
Developing·Limited corroboration so far. This page will refresh as more sources emerge.
U.S. President Donald Trump sanctioned International Criminal Court judge Kimberly Prost nearly a year before July 2025 over her work on a case involving American troops in Afghanistan, Cbc reported. The sanctions have left Prost, born in Winnipeg, unable to use a credit card or most major online vendors.
She previously told The Canadian Press that the measures have restricted travel and prevented use of services such as an Amazon smart speaker or theatre tickets. Prost and two other judges filed a lawsuit against President Trump and his administration on June 24, 2025, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The suit, brought in the judges' personal capacity and not by the ICC, argues that Trump exceeded his authority and did not provide due process. James Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative representing Prost, stated that Congress did not vest the president with authority to violate international law.
He added that the sanctions are arbitrary and capricious, not in accordance with the law, and an abuse of discretion.
Prost's team contends that Trump exceeded emergency powers under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and that long-standing U.S. concerns about the ICC show no emergency exists. Washington has not filed a response to the complaint.
Prost's team sought a preliminary injunction on July 2, 2025, setting a July 30 deadline for the government to respond and an August 20 deadline for the plaintiffs' reply. Canada has not criticized the sanctions, unlike France. Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Thida Ith said Canada remains a strong supporter of the ICC and that protecting judicial independence is critical to its effectiveness, but added that the matter is before the courts and no further comment is possible.
