Nobel Peace Prize winner Navi Pillay has denounced the US sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) as "unheard of" and "unacceptable". Pillay, a 85-year-old South African lawyer and former UN rights chief, made the statement via video link from Nuremberg during an event at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo. The US sanctions were announced hours after Pillay was named the Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The sanctions target the ICC, which is based in The Hague.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Pillay the prestigious prize on Friday. Both the United States and Israel condemned her being awarded the honour. US President Donald Trump has long coveted the award for himself. Israel's foreign ministry said the award legitimised "anti-Israel hatred". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the awarding of the prize to Pillay showed the Nobel committee had "lost its moral compass" by honouring "a bigot".
Pillay served on the ICC and was the UN human rights high commissioner from 2008 to 2014. She also headed the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which found last year that genocide was occurring in Gaza. The COI's findings were rejected by Israel, which called them "distorted and false". Pillay's award was criticised by Trump, who labelled the committee's choice as "a disgraceful and embarrassing decision".
The US sanctions on the ICC were announced by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio said Washington would ban transactions with what he described as a "rogue court". The sanctions escalate a long-running campaign by Trump's administration against the Hague-based tribunal. The ICC rejected the US sanctions as an attack on international law.
The ICC warned in a statement that "history will judge this moment". Pillay expressed concern about the impact of the sanctions on the ICC's staff. She said "there are hundreds of staff who feel they are under threat". The sanctions target the judges of the ICC, just for the judicial orders they issue.
Pillay's statement was made during an event at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo. The event highlighted the continued existence of international courts, mainly the ICC. Pillay lamented the tension and anxiety surrounding the ICC. She called for support for the ICC and its work.
The US sanctions on the ICC have provoked swift condemnation from member states and the United Nations. The international community has expressed concern about the impact of the sanctions on international law. Pillay's Nobel Peace Prize award and her condemnation of the US sanctions have drawn attention to the ICC and its role in promoting international justice.
Key points
- The US sanctions on the ICC were announced hours after Navi Pillay was named the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
- Pillay served on the ICC and was the UN human rights high commissioner from 2008 to 2014.
- The ICC rejected the US sanctions as an attack on international law and warned that "history will judge this moment".
