US imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court, hours after former judge wins Nobel

On Friday, the United States imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), hours after one of its former judges, Navi Pillay, won the Nobel Peace Prize. The move puts Washington on a diplomatic collision course with European allies, who are strong supporters of the court. Nazhat Shameem Khan, the ICC's deputy prosecutor, condemned the sanctions and vowed that the tribunal's work would continue unabated.

The Trump administration has long been hostile to the ICC, which was founded in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. The sanctions could potentially punish companies that provide services to the court. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the United States aims to ban transactions with the ICC, cutting off its resources and crippling its ability to operate.

The sanctions target companies that do business with the ICC, and Washington has even allowed some exemptions, such as transactions related to ICC telecommunications, software, and pension payments. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the sanctions, calling the ICC a political body that poses a mortal threat to law-abiding democracies worldwide.

The ICC has 125 member states, including all EU countries and NATO members, except for the United States and Turkey.