GENEVA 

UN experts on Friday described new US sanctions against officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as "alarming," warning that they amount to a direct assault on the tribunal's independence and sabotage global efforts to ensure accountability for atrocity crimes.

"It is alarming to see a country show such continuing hostility towards the legal and peaceful actions of an independent tribunal set up by the international community," the experts said in a statement.

The latest sanctions, announced on Wednesday by the US, target two ICC judges and two deputy prosecutors. They followed similar measures against four judges in June and the court's chief prosecutor earlier this year.

"Sanctioning ICC judges and prosecutors sabotages the fight against impunity and tells the world that power, not justice, rules in the face of atrocity," the experts warned.

They called on the US to rescind the measures and urged the EU to use its "blocking statute" to shield ICC officials from unlawful reprisals.