The deputy prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Friday lashed out at U.S. sanctions, arguing they effectively put top court officials on a par with ¡°terrorists and drug traffickers.¡±

In a wide-ranging interview, Mame Mandiaye Niang also said it would be ¡°conceivable¡± to hold an in-absentia hearing against high-level ICC targets such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Sixty-five-year-old Niang, along with top ICC judges, is subject to sanctions from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, in retaliation at the court¡¯s arrest warrants for Netanyahu over Israel¡¯s campaign in Gaza.