Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay blasts Trump's 'unlawful' sanctions against ICC

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday, labeling them "illegal." In an interview with AFP, the 85-year-old judge expressed her belief that Trump needed a lesson in international law. She suggested that Trump should consult with his legal advisors to understand the nature of international law and why it is deemed unlawful for him to interfere with an independent international court.

Pillay's comments came after the U.S. announced sanctions targeting the ICC, aiming to hinder its day-to-day operations, which include investigating and prosecuting individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Trump's administration has vowed to dismantle the court, driven by the belief that judges have issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged crimes in Gaza.

The sanctions, which will take effect in six months, target the court's technology and banking operations. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten urged for talks with Washington during this period to discuss reforms to the ICC, based in The Hague. However, Pillay dismissed the idea of reforms as "euphemistic," stating that Trump's goal was to prevent the ICC from pursuing investigations into U.S. citizens. She emphasized that such selectivity would set a dangerous precedent and constitute a double standard, which she deems wrong.

Pillay also addressed Israeli officials' reaction to her Nobel Prize, which was awarded in response to her role as head of the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) that found evidence of genocide in Gaza. Netanyahu called her a "bigot," while Israel's foreign ministry expressed that Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels would be "applauding from hell" over her award.

Pillay found these reactions "hurtful and insulting," arguing that Goebbels, responsible for the deaths of thousands of people, should not be praised.

While acknowledging the lack of political will to arrest Netanyahu for the ICC charges, Pillay expressed confidence that it would eventually happen. She also noted that her age might limit her ability to travel extensively to promote international justice. Pillay, who visited 79 countries as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, hinted at using her Nobel Prize money, worth 12 million Swedish krone ($1.2 million), to invest in education in her native South Africa.