October 15, 2026
The 2026 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Navi Pillay, announced her categorical rejection of the US sanctions imposed on the International Criminal Court, considering them “illegal,” and called on US President Donald Trump to review the rules of international law with his advisors.
In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Pillay confirmed that interfering in the work of an independent international court is an illegal measure, noting that Washington’s announcement of these sanctions hours after winning the award came in response to not awarding it to Trump.
Last Friday, the United States announced a package of sanctions targeting the banking and technological operations of the International Criminal Court, to be activated within six months, following the Trump administration’s objection to the arrest warrant issued by the court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against the backdrop of the war in Gaza.
In a related context, Pillay denounced American double standards, pointing out that previous American administrations had welcomed the arrest warrant issued by the court against Russian President Vladimir Putin. It also refused to make any exceptions for American citizens from investigations, warning that adopting selective prosecution would set a “bad and very dangerous precedent.”
On the other hand, Pillay described the Israeli criticism directed at her after she received the Nobel Peace Prize as “hurtful and insulting.” Pillay previously chaired a UN investigation committee that concluded in its report last year that Israel had committed genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Regarding the arrest warrant against Netanyahu, Pillay acknowledged that there was a weakness in the political will to implement it, but she expressed confidence in the possibility of him appearing before international justice in the future, at a time when the Israeli Prime Minister continues to deny the accusations against him.
These developments come in light of the Trump administration’s strong opposition to the international criminal procedures related to the war in Gaza, especially the arrest warrant against Netanyahu, in clear contradiction to its previous position welcoming the arrest warrant issued against the Russian president.
