The United States has imposed fresh sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating its dispute with the international judicial body just hours after former ICC judge Navi Pillay was awarded the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
The sanctions, announced by President Donald Trump’s administration on Friday, could affect not only the court but also companies providing services to the institution, raising concerns about its ability to carry out investigations and prosecutions.
The ICC strongly condemned the decision, describing it as an attack on international justice and the principles underpinning the global legal system.
In a statement, the court said the move was an “assault on the rule of law and on the very foundations of the international legal order” and urged its 125 member states to help defend the institution.
“The Court cannot stand alone. Its fate now rests also in the hands of the states that created it,” the statement said.
“This is not just about defending a single institution, but about safeguarding the international order grounded upon the rule of law. History will judge this moment.”
Trump Administration Says ICC Must Not Prosecute Americans
The latest measures deepen Washington’s longstanding opposition to the ICC, which was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
Although the United States signed the Rome Statute that established the court, it never ratified the treaty and is not a member of the institution.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctions were intended to prevent the court from pursuing Americans and restrict its ability to operate.
“President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans,” Rubio said in a statement.
“That is why, today, the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court. We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate.”
Washington has repeatedly criticised the ICC over its arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and its investigation into alleged crimes involving US military personnel in Afghanistan.
The court has said the Afghanistan investigation has been “deprioritized”.
Rubio also referred to calls from outside experts for the ICC to prosecute American service members, border patrol agents and elected officials. However, ICC officials have not taken steps towards prosecuting those groups, according to the report.
The United States previously imposed sanctions on individual ICC officials during Trump’s first term. Those measures were lifted under former President Joe Biden, before Washington introduced new sanctions against court officials shortly after Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Sanctions Include Six-Month Grace Period
The US Treasury Department announced an initial six-month grace period for the latest sanctions, alongside exemptions covering certain activities.
These include some telecommunications and software services, pension payments and transactions connected to detainees.
Rubio said the measures were designed to give the ICC and its member states time to address Washington’s concerns. He added that the sanctions could be adjusted depending on whether those demands were met.
The restrictions could nevertheless create serious operational challenges because US sanctions typically prevent American companies from conducting business with designated organisations.
Such measures can lead banks to close accounts, insurers to withdraw coverage and software providers to end their services.
The ICC has reportedly been preparing for the possibility of broader sanctions for months. Its officials have moved some office computers away from Microsoft software towards open-source alternatives and made new arrangements for banking and health insurance.
Despite the pressure, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan said the court would continue its work.
“The sanctions are intended to undermine the rule of law internationally and the work that an independent judicial institution is doing,” she said.
“Our work will continue across all our situations, our investigations and our prosecutions.”
European Allies Defend International Court
The US decision has raised concerns among European allies, many of which are members of the ICC and have supported its work.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the six-month grace period provided an opportunity for discussions with Washington.
However, she stressed that the bloc had options to ensure the court could continue operating.
Belgium’s foreign minister also called for the European Union to activate a blocking statute to protect the ICC from the effects of the American sanctions.
The court has issued arrest warrants against more than 70 people connected to international conflicts, including political leaders and other prominent figures.
Those targeted have included Russian President Vladimir Putin, Netanyahu, Hamas figures, former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Charges against Kenyan President William Ruto and former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta were withdrawn.
The ICC is based in the Netherlands, which is a member of both the European Union and NATO. All EU countries and NATO members apart from the United States and Turkey are members of the court.
Navi Pillay’s Nobel Prize Highlights Pressure on International Justice
The sanctions came only hours after South African jurist Navi Pillay received the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of her work promoting international law and accountability.
Pillay served on the ICC’s Appeals Chamber from 2003 to 2008 and has spent much of her career working to ensure that serious international crimes are investigated and prosecuted.
The Nobel Committee explicitly linked the award to growing pressure on international judicial institutions, saying judges and international legal bodies were facing political attacks.
“An international legal system in which war criminals are held to account and the victims of abuse see justice served is a precondition for a peaceful world,” the committee said.
The timing of the award and the US sanctions has drawn further attention to the dispute over the role of international courts and their independence from political pressure.
Although Washington has urged countries to withdraw from the ICC, the institution continues to receive support from most of its member states.
The latest sanctions now place additional pressure on the court as it seeks to maintain its operations and pursue cases involving alleged international crimes.
