US sanctions ICC after former judge awarded Nobel Peace Prize

The Trump administration imposed institutional sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, hours after one of its founding judges won the Nobel Peace Prize. The measures target the court as an institution after sanctions were imposed on half of its 18 judges and most of its leadership, including the court’s president and chief prosecutor, in response to its 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. The restrictions could prevent the court from conducting transactions in US dollars, effectively cutting it off from large parts of the international financial system and potentially crippling its operations. Banks tend to over-comply with sanctions because of their dependence on that system. But speaking to Middle East Eye ahead of the announcement, ICC officials said they were prepared to withstand the impact of institutional sanctions as they have alternative arrangements in place. Read more: US sanctions International Criminal Court after former judge awarded Nobel Peace Prize Navi Pillay, photographed after she had heard she had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, at Nuremberg's Palace of Justice on 9 October 2026 (AFP)