MADRID, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has urged the European Commission to prevent U.S. sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) officials and a UN rapporteur from affecting the European Union (EU).

In a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Sanchez requested the immediate activation of the EU's Blocking Statute, a legal mechanism designed to protect European citizens and entities from the extraterritorial effects of foreign sanctions.

The Spanish government said the measure should shield ICC judges and prosecutors, as well as UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese, from sanctions imposed by Washington.

The U.S. sanctions were introduced in response to ICC investigations and arrest warrants involving senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The sanctions include restrictions on banking services, travel and financial transactions that Spain says could undermine the independence of international judicial institutions and the broader human rights system.

Sanchez said that the Blocking Statute, traditionally used against economic sanctions, should now serve as a broader shield to protect multilateralism and international justice. ■