CPI: Sanctioned by the US, Beninese Judge Alapini-Gansou Shares Her Shock

Reine Alapini-Gansou, a Beninese judge at the International Criminal Court, described on September 23, 2026, in Paris the impact of US sanctions imposed since 2025, including restrictions on her credit cards and travel. She was added to the US sanctions list on June 5, 2025, affecting her daily life. She was also sentenced in absentia in Russia in December 2025 in connection with the Poutine case, with sentences up to 15 years for some ICC officials, including herself. She has been the second vice-president of the ICC since 2018 and previously worked at the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.