Latest news with #ExecutiveOrder14203
IOL News
10-07-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
US imposes sanctions on UN human rights official Francesca Albanese over Israel report
The findings, presented by Francesca Albanese - the United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian - during a media briefing in Geneva last week, accuse these corporations of failing to uphold their legal responsibilities, thereby facilitating a system of exploitative occupation. Image: Supplied The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has imposed sanctions on Francesca Albanese, the United Nations' Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied since 1967. Albanese last week published a report listing up to 48 multinational corporations in defense equipment manufacturing, logistics, tech, tourism, knowledge production, and agriculture as having profited from 'the genocide carried out by Israel' in Gaza by providing cloud and AI technologies to the Israeli government and military, among other things. The decision to sanction Albanese came under President Trump's Executive Order 14203, aimed at countering actions perceived as violations of US sovereignty and interests. Rubio on Wednesday said the sanctions derived from Albanese's alleged direct engagement with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in efforts that the US considers to undermine both American and Israeli sovereignty. As neither the United States nor Israel is a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, he said any attempts by Albanese to pursue investigations or prosecutions targeting nationals of these countries were viewed as serious infringements by the US government. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading "The United States has repeatedly condemned and objected to the biased and malicious activities of Albanese that have long made her unfit for service as a Special Rapporteur. Albanese has spewed unabashed antisemitism, expressed support for terrorism, and open contempt for the United States, Israel, and the West," Rubio said. "That bias has been apparent across the span of her career, including recommending that the ICC, without a legitimate basis, issue arrest warrants targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant." Critics of Albanese have long pointed to what they describe as Albanese's biased conduct, accusing her of fostering antisemitism and exhibiting hostility towards both the US and Israel. Rubio said the imposition of sanctions against Albanese served as a clear message from the US government that it will actively respond to what it describes as illegitimate overreach by the ICC. "The United States will continue to take whatever actions we deem necessary to respond to lawfare, to check and prevent illegitimate ICC overreach and abuse of power, and to protect our sovereignty and that of our allies," he said. BUSINESS REPORT
Scoop
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Imposing Sanctions In Response To The ICC's Illegitimate Actions Targeting The United States And Israel
JUNE 5, 2025 Today, I am designating Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza of Peru, Reine Adelaide Sophie Alapini Gansou of Benin, and Beti Hohler of Slovenia pursuant to President Trump's Executive Order 14203, 'Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court.' These individuals directly engaged in efforts by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute nationals of the United States or Israel, without consent from the United States or Israel. Neither the United States nor Israel is party to the Rome Statute. As ICC judges, these four individuals have actively engaged in the ICC's illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel. The ICC is politicized and falsely claims unfettered discretion to investigate, charge, and prosecute nationals of the United States and our allies. This dangerous assertion and abuse of power infringes upon the sovereignty and national security of the United States and our allies, including Israel. The United States will take whatever actions we deem necessary to protect our sovereignty, that of Israel, and any other U.S. ally from illegitimate actions by the ICC. I call on the countries that still support the ICC, many of whose freedom was purchased at the price of great American sacrifices to fight this disgraceful attack on our nation and Israel. All targets are being designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14203. For more information on today's actions, please see the Department of State's fact sheet and the Department of the Treasury's press release.
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
George Clooney's British wife warned she could be BANNED from the US by Donald Trump
George Clooney 's wife could be banned from returning to the US alongside other top UK lawyers under sanctions imposed by Donald Trump. Amal, a top international human rights attorney, 47, has reportedly been 'cautioned' by the Foreign Office that legal advice she provided in a war crimes case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could mean she may be denied entry. The couple are said spend most of their time at their homes in the UK and Italy, although they also have property in the US - where Mr Clooney is currently starring in a Broadway show. It comes after the president issued an Executive Order against the International Criminal Court claiming to combat anti-Christian bias and condemn the 'illegitimate and baseless' charges against Netanyahu. The court also charged three leaders of Hamas, who have since been killed. The action included financial sanctions and travel restrictions against officials working for the organisation. Lawyers including Baroness Helena Kennedy and Lord Justice Adrian Fulford, who were involved in the decision to issue the warrant, also received warnings, The Financial Times reports. The warnings to the lawyers are 'due to the legal advice they provided to the International Criminal Court in a war crimes case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.' Trump issued Executive Order 14203 - Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court in February - banning ICC official Karim Khan, who is from the UK, and his family from the US and seizing his American assets. The President warned that more measures could be on the way against 'those responsible for the ICC's transgressions', including freezing their property and blocking entry to the US. The top international human rights lawyer, 47, and other high-profile British attorneys have reportedly been 'warned' about receiving sanctions from Trump which would deny them entry to the United States, where the Clooneys own a home - Trump pictured Tuesday If additional sanctions end up getting handed down, Ms Clooney - who served as a special adviser in International Criminal Court Prosecutor Khan's investigation that led him to seek arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders - could be barred from the US. has contacted representatives for Mr and Ms Clooney for comment. It comes a year after a fierce war of words between Trump and Mr Clooney, who campaigned vocally for Joe Biden's Democrat campaign. The President slammed him as a 'second-rate movie star' and a 'failed political pundit' who 'dumped' Biden 'like a dog', in posts from his Truth Social account. The ICC is an international organization based in The Hague. It investigates and prosecutes those accused of war crimes, genocide and other crimes against humanity. 'The U.S. will impose tangible & significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC's transgressions,' Trump's order states. The warrant for Netanyahu's arrest was pushed by Khan. If the PM was to visit any countries like France or the U.K., he could be arrested. Khan also put out warrants for top Hamas leaders who have since been killed. Ms Clooney was born in war-torn Beirut to one of Lebanon's most famous women journalists before emigrating to the United Kingdom to escape civil war when she was 2 and becoming a British citizen. She previously represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange during his high-profile his extradition battle. In May 2024, Ms Clooney hit back at critics accusing her of not using her platform to highlight the alleged plight of the Palestinian people - In 2024, she won the Legal 500 Award for international lawyer of the year. Ms Clooney is qualified to practice law in the United States and England and Wales. She was admitted to the bar in New York in 2002. She frequently represents victims of mass atrocities, including genocide and sexual violence and has acted in many landmark human rights cases including the world's first trials in which ISIS members were convicted of genocide and crimes against humanity. In May 2024, Ms Clooney hit back at critics accusing her of not using her platform to highlight the alleged plight of the Palestinian people. The attorney's father is Lebanese and her mother is a Sunni-Muslim of Palestinian ancestry. 'I served on this Panel because I believe in the rule of law and the need to protect civilian lives,' Clooney wrote in a statement about her role in filing the warrants.
Economic Times
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Amal Clooney could face US entry ban under Donald Trump's sanctions. Is George Clooney's wife in trouble?
Agencies Amal Clooney and other top UK lawyers may face U.S. sanctions under President Trump's executive order for advising the ICC in a war crimes case against Israeli leaders. If enforced, sanctions could bar Clooney—renowned human rights barrister and wife of George Clooney—from entering the U.S., raising global concerns over legal freedom and international professional retaliation. Amal Clooney, the globally renowned human rights lawyer and wife of Hollywood actor George Clooney, may soon face an unprecedented diplomatic backlash: a ban from entering the United States. This looming threat comes in the wake of reports that former—and now re-elected—U.S. President Donald Trump may extend sanctions to several U.K.-based barristers for their legal roles in advising the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its war crimes case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The news, first reported by the Financial Times , has sent ripples through the international legal community. According to the report, the U.K. Foreign Office has discreetly warned a group of prominent British lawyers, Clooney among them, that they could be sanctioned under Trump's Executive Order 14203, signed in February 2025. The order targets individuals associated with what the administration has branded as the ICC's 'baseless' investigation into Israel's actions in Gaza—an investigation that has drawn sharp condemnation from Tel Aviv and Washington alike. For Amal Clooney, a British citizen born in Beirut and raised in the U.K., the implications are deeply personal and professional. Besides her deep legal ties to international courts, she also maintains a residence in the United States with her husband and their two children. She is admitted to the New York bar and has taught as an adjunct professor at Columbia Law School. But if sanctioned, she could be denied U.S. entry, her assets potentially frozen, and her ability to work or even travel to the country severely curtailed. The targeting of lawyers—merely for offering legal counsel—raises serious concerns about the erosion of legal neutrality. International criminal lawyer Alexandro Maria Tirelli told PEOPLE that the Trump administration could invoke sweeping laws such as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Immigration and Nationality Act to enforce sanctions, even without criminal proceedings or judicial oversight. An executive order, he emphasized, is immune to appeal and difficult to reverse without prolonged litigation. — musthafaaa (@musthafaaa) Clooney is no stranger to legal controversies or high-stakes cases. Her impressive portfolio includes representing former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa. She has stood before the International Court of Justice, prosecuted members of Hezbollah at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, and spearheaded landmark genocide and war crimes cases against members of the Islamic State. Her clients include victims of the Yazidi genocide, the Rohingya massacre, and the Darfur conflict. In December 2023, she filed a civil lawsuit against French multinational Lafarge on behalf of over 800 Yazidi-Americans for allegedly aiding ISIS. Her tireless advocacy has earned her global acclaim, culminating in a Legal 500 'Lawyer of the Year' award in 2024. Yet now, it is Clooney who finds herself in the legal crosshairs—not for wrongdoing, but for upholding the very tenets of international justice. — endrapeinwar (@endrapeinwar) If enacted, these sanctions would mark a dangerous precedent: penalizing lawyers for fulfilling their professional obligations. Critics argue such a move starkly violates the 1990 United Nations Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, which guarantee the freedom of legal practitioners to operate without intimidation or political interference. 'No lawyer should be punished for standing up for human rights,' a senior barrister told The Guardian anonymously. 'This is not just about Amal Clooney. It's about every lawyer who believes in the rule of law.' Even within the U.S., legal bodies are alarmed. When Trump threatened similar sanctions in March 2025 against American lawyers and judges critical of his administration, the American Bar Association swiftly condemned the move. 'We reject efforts to undermine the courts and the profession,' the ABA declared, defending the sanctity of legal independence. At its core, this episode reflects a larger confrontation between global justice mechanisms and rising nationalist politics. The ICC's warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant follow accusations of disproportionate military aggression in Gaza after Hamas's October 2023 assault on southern Israel. Trump, a staunch ally of Israel, claims the ICC overstepped its jurisdiction—though Palestine, unlike the U.S. or Israel, is a party to the Rome Statute. Clooney's possible sanctioning is not merely a personal dilemma or political maneuver—it is a test of the world's commitment to justice without borders. If legal professionals like her can be barred from doing their jobs for defending human rights, then who will stand for the voiceless when the powerful come knocking? As the world watches, the message is clear: this is more than a legal drama—it's a fight for the future of international law. Will the scales of justice tip under political pressure, or will voices like Amal Clooney's continue to rise against the tide?
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
George Clooney's wife Amal, could be denied entry to the US, along with fellow UK lawyers: Report
American actor and filmmaker George Clooney's wife, Amal, could soon face a ban from entering the United States, where she co-owns several properties with her husband. According to a recent report by PEOPLE, Amal, along with several other high-profile UK lawyers, have been warned that they might face sanctions from the current Trump administration due to the tense relationship between the two countries. These sanctions would be a response to their involvement in advising the International Criminal Court (ICC) on a case against Israeli leaders, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Amal Clooney, a British international human rights lawyer, has a client list that includes several high-profile figures, including globally recognised politicians. Amal Clooney could be prevented from travelling to the US: Report The Financial Times reported that the UK Foreign Office has alerted a few lawyers, including Amal, that the burning legal matter might lead to action from the U.S. government. This comes after President Trump's Executive Order 14203, which was issued in February 2025. An excerpt of the executive order issued by the White Hosue reads, 'The United States will impose tangible and significant consequences on those responsible for the ICC's transgressions, some of which may include the blocking of property and assets, as well as the suspension of entry into the United States of ICC officials, employees, and agents, as well as their immediate family members, as their entry into our Nation would be detrimental to the interests of the United States.' According to Alexandro Maria Tirelli, an international lawyer, if these sanctions are imposed, then lawyers like Amal will have to file a federal lawsuit to challenge them but till a decision is made they could be barred from entering the US. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO Who is George Clooney's wife, Amal Born in Lebanon, Amal is a lawyer licensed to practice both in the U.S. and the UK. She and George Clooney married in 2014 and own multiple properties across Europe and the US, although they mostly spend time in France with their seven-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella. Clooney's are also involved in various humanitarian projects. In 2016, they co-founded the Clooney Foundation for Justice, which provides legal services free of charge in defence of 'women's rights and free speech in around 40 countries.' For their work, the duo has also faced a lot of scrutiny in recent years, which led to their decision not to live away from the spotlight. 'Growing up in Kentucky, I never imagined I'd end up on a farm. But now, I find it's the best way to have a normal life,' George said in an interview.
