The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Navi Pillay, has condemned US sanctions against the International Criminal Court. The former judge at the institution said it's shocking that magistrates are being punished for their decisions.
“It's a sad day when a country that is not a member of this court unilaterally imposes such sanctions. It's shocking that judges are being punished for their decisions,“ Pillay said in an interview with German television channel “Tagesschau“.
She added that she believes in the International Criminal Court and that she worked there for five and a half years. According to Pillay, there is support for the institution from “all over Europe“.
Washington's sanctions
The administration of President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on October 9 against the International Criminal Court as an institution. Washington said that the court had not taken into account American objections, including on investigations involving US citizens.
The court itself described the measure as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal order. ICC President Tomoko Akane said the institution would continue to carry out its mandate independently and impartially, based on the law and evidence.
The United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and the Netherlands also expressed their disagreement with the US actions.
Pilley's career
Born in Durban, South Africa, to a family of Indian descent, Pillay has worked as a lawyer defending opponents of apartheid and working on cases involving torture and repression.
She headed the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and was a judge at the International Criminal Court from 2003 to 2008. From 2008 to 2014, she was the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded her the 2026 prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, as well as for her contribution to the pursuit of accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
The sanctions against the court are another step in the conflict between Washington and the institution. In February 2025, the US sanctioned prosecutor Karim Khan, who had issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Sources: rbc.ru, tagesschau.de, apnews.com