Trump imposes sanctions on international criminal court

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 14:44 · Archive

The Trump administration has imposed sweeping sanctions on the International Criminal Court, targeting the entire institution hours after South African judge Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The sanctions follow previous measures against 13 ICC judges and prosecutors.

If the sanctions take effect within six months as threatened, they would effectively bar all financial transactions with the court. Banks would be unable to conduct business with it, and the measure could force internet companies to halt the court's email and computer systems and telecom companies to cut its phones. Human rights groups and victims would be precluded from working with the court, with violators risking penalties themselves.

Pillay, a former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights who sat as a judge on the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, described the move as 'a violation of the international rule of law'. She said 'it's unacceptable for politicians to interfere in the work of judges, in the judiciary'. She travelled to The Hague to show 'solidarity' with ICC staff. Pillay defended the UN commission she chaired, which concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, saying 'we didn't come to that conclusion lightly'.

How it is being reported

• US sanctions on ICC are 'a shock' and 'unacceptable,' Nobel peace laureate Navi Pillay saysIn an interview with FRANCE 24, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay described the US sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court (ICC) hours after her award as "a shock" and "unacceptable". The South African judge also defended the UN commission of inquiry she chaired, which concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza: "We didn't come to that conclusion lightly." Rejecting claims that the ICC targets Africa, she said "the court is not selective".France 24 · 21 Oct, 14:11
• We can stop Trump’s assault on the international criminal court | Kenneth RothHere’s what we need to do to stand up for international law Many applauded when Navi Pillay was awarded the Nobel peace prize. The South African human rights lawyer had chaired the UN commission of inquiry that found Israel to have committed genocide in Gaza and served for five years as a judge on the international criminal court (ICC). Donald Trump responded a few hours later by imposing sanctions on the ICC. He chose a moment for celebrating the rule of law to try to undermine it. Kenneth Roth is a Guardian US columnist, a senior fellow at Yale University and a former executive director of…The Guardian · 20 Oct, 11:00

In this story: Donald Trump · Navi Pillay · International Criminal Court · Israel · Gaza · United States · South Africa

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