Trump Admin Sanctions International Criminal Court Hours After Former Judge Wins Nobel Peace Prize: ‘Ban Transactions With This Rogue Court,’ Rubio Says
On Friday, the Donald Trump administration imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court itself, hours after one of its former judges, Navi Pillay, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In response, the court denounced the move as an "assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order." It called on its 125 member states to take action to defend it. "The Court cannot stand alone. Its fate now rests also in the hands of the states that created it," the ICC said in a statement. Six-Month Grace Period and Limited Exemptions In a statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. will "ban transactions with this rogue court." He said the goal is to cut off the court’s resources and limit its ability to operate. Today, the Trump Administration is sanctioning the ICC. This action should encourage our Allies within the Court to work for solutions to end this threat to U.S. sovereignty forever. pic.twitter.com/D86dCqLUaZ — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) October 9, 2026 The sanctions announced by the U.S. Treasury include a six-month initial grace period. Some transactions remain exempt, including those tied to telecom, software, pensions an
On Friday, the Donald Trump administration imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court itself, hours after one of its former judges, Navi Pillay, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. " It called on its 125 member states to take action to defend it. "The Court cannot stand alone. Its fate now rests also in the hands of the states that created it," the ICC said in a statement.
S. " He said the goal is to cut off the court’s resources and limit its ability to operate. Today, the Trump Administration is sanctioning the ICC. S.
sovereignty forever. S. Treasury include a six-month initial grace period. Some transactions remain exempt, including those tied to telecom, software, pensions and detainees, Pillay, a South African jurist, sat on the ICC’s Appeals Chamber from 2003 to 2008.
" President Donald Trump reshared a post on Truth Social on Friday criticizing the Nobel Committee for awarding the Peace Prize to Pillay. S. and the ICC has been strained since the court was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. S.
initially signed the Rome Statute that founded the court but never ratified it. The administration imposed targeted sanctions on court officials during Trump’s first term. Those were rescinded under President Joe Biden. New sanctions followed just days after Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Washington has denounced the ICC over arrest warrants issued for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. S. " Friday’s move goes much further than earlier measures, which targeted individual prosecutors and judges. Companies that provide services to the court itself could now face penalties.
S. -based companies from working with a sanctioned organization, forcing banks to close accounts, insurers to end coverage and software companies to halt cooperation. The court appears to have prepared. Officials spent months moving office computers from Microsoft Corp.
(NASDAQ: MSFT ) software to open-source alternatives, and arranged new banking and health insurance, the report noted. " The ICC is the cornerstone of the international criminal justice system. It prosecutes individuals responsible for the most serious crimes under international law. … — Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) October 9, 2026 In a separate post, Kallas also congratulated Pillay.
Congratulations to Navi Pillay on the well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize. Navi Pillay dedicated her life to upholding justice and protecting human dignity, from her role as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to her work on accountability for the genocide in Rwanda. She has… — Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) October 9, 2026 Read Also: Trump Sets Nov. 5 Hearing For Lisa Cook Over Alleged Mortgage Fraud As Her Lawyers Question Legitimacy of Probe Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published editors.
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