On Friday, the Donald Trump administration imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court itself, hours after one of its former judges, Navi Pillay, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
In response, the court denounced the move as an "assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order." It called on its 125 member states to take action to defend it.
"The Court cannot stand alone. Its fate now rests also in the hands of the states that created it," the ICC said in a statement.
Six-Month Grace Period and Limited Exemptions
In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will "ban transactions with this rogue court." He said the goal is to cut off the court’s resources and limit its ability to operate.
The sanctions announced by the U.S. Treasury include a six-month initial grace period. Some transactions remain exempt, including those tied to telecom, software, pensions and detainees, Reuters reported.
Pillay, a South African jurist, sat on the ICC’s Appeals Chamber from 2003 to 2008. The Nobel Committee described the award as support for international tribunals at a time when "judges and institutions of international law are under political attack."
President Donald Trump reshared a post on Truth Social on Friday criticizing the Nobel Committee for awarding the Peace Prize to Pillay. The post, written by user @Schoenlaw, said the committee "shamed itself beyond repair."
A Long-Strained Relationship
The relationship between the U.S. and the ICC has been strained since the court was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The U.S. initially signed the Rome Statute that founded the court but never ratified it.
The administration imposed targeted sanctions on court officials during Trump’s first term. Those were rescinded under President Joe Biden. New sanctions followed just days after Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Washington has denounced the ICC over arrest warrants issued for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. It has also objected to an investigation into the actions of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, which the ICC says is "deprioritized."
Friday’s move goes much further than earlier measures, which targeted individual prosecutors and judges. Companies that provide services to the court itself could now face penalties.
U.S. sanctions typically bar U.S.-based companies from working with a sanctioned organization, forcing banks to close accounts, insurers to end coverage and software companies to halt cooperation.
The court appears to have prepared. Officials spent months moving office computers from Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) software to open-source alternatives, and arranged new banking and health insurance, the report noted.
EU Pushes Back on ICC Sanctions
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a social media post that the six-month grace period "offers a window for dialogue." She added that the bloc "has options to ensure that (the ICC) can continue its vital work."
In a separate post, Kallas also congratulated Pillay.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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