US sanctions ICC after former judge Pillay wins Nobel Peace Prize
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The US government announced sanctions against the International Criminal Court, or ICC, just hours after Navanethem "Navi" Pillay, a former ICC judge, won the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in promoting peace and international law. Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said Pillay played a key role in ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are prosecuted under the law. The United States has previously imposed sanctions on ICC prosecutors and judges, but the measures announced today are far broader in scope, including penalties on private companies that provide services directly to the ICC. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement that President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans, and that the United States will bar transactions with this kangaroo court, cut off its resources and undermine its ability to operate. ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan condemned the sanctions, saying they are aimed at undermining the rule of law at the international level and will not be able to stop the court's work. The ICC currently has 125 member states, including all European Union members and all NATO members except the United States and Turkey, and is headquartered in The Hague in the Netherlands.