Navi Pillay, the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has condemned the United States' sanctions on the International Criminal Court as "unheard of" and "unacceptable," saying the move has created fear inside the tribunal on which she once served as a judge.
Speaking by video link from Nuremberg on Saturday, October 10, during an event at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, Pillay said there was "so much tension and anxiety over the continued existence of international courts, mainly the International Criminal Court in The Hague." She lamented that "there are hundreds of staff who feel they are under threat."
Her comments came a day after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded her the prize for her work promoting peace and international law. Hours after that announcement on October 9, 2026, the Trump administration imposed sanctions on the ICC as an entity — a major escalation against the Hague-based court.
"Most importantly, sanctions have been announced by one country against the judges, just for the judicial orders they issue," said Pillay, an 85-year-old South African lawyer and former UN human rights chief. "This is unheard of, unacceptable."
What the sanctions do
The designation blocks all ICC property within US jurisdiction and bars US citizens, companies and banks from transactions with the court, its staff or its operations, unless covered by narrow exemptions. The US Treasury issued general licenses carving out exceptions for telecommunications and enterprise software, pension payments and matters involving ICC detainees, alongside a 180-day window for winding down operations.
The State Department said the six-month period is "intended to provide time" for ICC member states to show "meaningful progress on diplomatic and legal resolutions that address fundamental U.S. concerns," and that it "can be adjusted" depending on the outcome.
The US justification
Washington framed the move as a defence of US sovereignty. The administration argues the ICC has no jurisdiction over the United States or Israel because neither country is a party to the Rome Statute, and accuses the court of issuing "baseless" arrest warrants — including the 2024 warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the ICC as a "rogue court" and vowed to cut off its resources.
Divided international reaction
The response was sharply divided. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply alarmed" and called the decision "a serious blow to our collective pursuit of international criminal justice." UN human rights chief Volker Turk described the sanctions as "unacceptable." The European Union called them "deeply regrettable" and said it would work with the ICC to help it keep operating.
The foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands issued a joint statement saying they "regret and strongly disagree" with the sanctions. The ICC itself called the measures an "assault on the rule of law" and urged its 125 member states to defend it.
Israel welcomed the move. Netanyahu's office posted that "the ICC is not a court" and praised what it called a "critical decision" by Trump and Rubio.
What is confirmed, and what is not
It is confirmed that the sanctions target the ICC as an institution, that targeted penalties against individual ICC officials preceded them, and that limited exemptions and a 180-day grace period currently apply. Pillay's criticism, the UN and EU response, and Israel's support are all documented.
What remains unclear is how the court will sustain operations once the grace period expires, whether the exemptions will be extended, and whether the European Union will activate its blocking statute to shield European companies from the measures. The long-term effect on the ICC's investigations — and on the states now weighing how to respond — is still unknown.