Navi Pillay, the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize and a former UN rights chief, has publicly condemned the United States for imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). Speaking via video link from Nuremberg during an event at the Nobel Peace Centre in Oslo on Saturday, the 85-year-old South African lawyer described the measures as "unheard of, unacceptable."
Pillay, who previously served as a judge on the ICC, noted that there is significant anxiety regarding the future of international tribunals based in The Hague. She expressed concern for the hundreds of court staff who now feel their security is under threat. "Most importantly, sanctions have been announced by one country against the judges, just for the judicial orders they issue. This is unheard of, unacceptable," she stated.
The criticism follows the Norwegian Nobel Committee's announcement on Friday that Pillay would receive this year's Nobel Peace Prize. Her selection faced immediate backlash from both the United States and Israel. Shortly after the announcement, the US declared new sanctions against the ICC. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the tribunal as a "rogue court" and stated that Washington would move to ban transactions with the organization, further escalating a long-standing campaign against the institution.
The ICC responded to the development by rejecting the sanctions as an assault on international law, warning that "history will judge this moment." Beyond her tenure at the ICC, Pillay served as the UN human rights high commissioner from 2008 to 2014. She also led the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, which concluded last year that genocide was occurring in Gaza.
Political leaders have also weighed in on the award. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed the Nobel committee had "lost its moral compass" by honoring "a bigot." Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, who last month called on ICC member states to withdraw from the court, dismissed the committee's choice as a "disgraceful and embarrassing decision," adding that he had "never heard of" Pillay.
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