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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navanethem Navi Pillay said the US decision to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) is unacceptable. Speaking by video link to an event at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo, the South African jurist warned that the future of international courts, particularly the Hague-based ICC, is under serious strain.

Pillay noted that Washington announced the measures solely because of judicial rulings, calling the move "unheard of and unacceptable." Her comments came after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States had decided to sanction the court following Pillay's receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rubio said Washington would not allow Americans to be prosecuted by the ICC, warning that the court must either stop its threats or face being dismantled. The ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, a decision the US opposed. In August, Washington sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane along with other judges and prosecutors.

Key Takeaways

• Pillay called the US sanctions on the ICC 'unheard of and unacceptable' during a video appearance in Oslo
• Rubio said the US would not allow Americans to be tried by the ICC and threatened to dismantle the court
• The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant in November 2024, drawing US opposition