The US imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court - media

On Friday, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC)—just hours after one of its former judges received the Nobel Peace Prize—putting Washington on a path toward a diplomatic conflict with its European allies, UNN reports, citing Reuters.

Details

ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan condemned the sanctions and said they would not stop the tribunal’s work.

The Trump administration has long been hostile toward the court, established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, and has previously imposed sanctions on its prosecutors and judges. Friday’s move has significantly broader implications, as it potentially provides for penalties against companies that provide services to the court itself.

"President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

"That is why today the United States is imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court. We will prohibit transactions with this rogue court, cut off its resources, and undermine its ability to function."

ICC Deputy Prosecutor Khan told Reuters that the sanctions "must be condemned."

"These sanctions are aimed at undermining the rule of law at the international level and the work carried out by an independent judicial institution," Khan said. "Our work will continue across all our cases, investigations, and prosecutions."

Washington has sharply criticized the ICC over its issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as over its previous investigation into the actions of U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan (which the ICC later closed).

2026 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navanethem Pillay of South Africa09.10.26, 12:11 • 19899 views

In addition

The ICC consists of 125 states, including all EU countries and all NATO members except the United States and Turkey. The court has received strong public support from member states, including key U.S. allies, and is based in the Netherlands—a country that is a member of both the EU and NATO.

Navi Pillay, a South African lawyer who received the Nobel Peace Prize earlier on Friday, served as a judge on the ICC Appeals Chamber from 2003 to 2008. In its citation, the prize committee said that by choosing her, it sought to "remind us of important things" at a time when "judges and institutions of international law are facing political attacks."

"An international legal system in which war criminals are held accountable and victims of abuse see justice restored is a prerequisite for a peaceful world," the committee said.

Rubio said the sanctions had been formulated in a way that would allow the court and its member states to respond to U.S. concerns.

Washington immediately provided for certain exceptions. Shortly after the sanctions were announced, the U.S. Treasury Department issued four general licenses allowing certain transactions related to telecommunications, software, and ICC pension payments, as well as transactions involving individuals detained by the ICC.