US President Donald Trump's administration imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday, hours after one of its former judges won the Nobel Peace Prize.
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one → impose → Prize
This comes as the US has in recent months made no bones about pursuing what Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called a "sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court."
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Rubio → come → Court
The United States and Israel had both strongly opposed the court's arrest warrants for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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States → oppose → Netanyahu
Since 2020 and the back end of Trump's first term, the US had also opposed investigations into military actions in Afghanistan that "deprioritize" alleged US wrongdoings, focusing on the Taliban, but can nevertheless include them.
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that → oppose → them
What did the State Department say about the ICC sanctions?
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Department → say → sanctions
"President Trump will never allow the International Court to prosecute Americans," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.
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Rubio → allow → statement
"That is why, today, the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court.
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States → sanction → Court
We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate," he said.
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he → ban → ability
The statement said that the US had "exercised discretion and deferred this designation out of respect for our relationships and in hopes that the ICC would change course or would otherwise be restrained by States Parties."
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ICC → say → Parties
Rubio said that both political parties in the US had long agreed that the ICC should not have jurisdiction over US citizens, but said "only President Trump has the resolve to take the action needed to end this threat for good."
"Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC.
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we → say → ICC
We expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and that rely on American servicemembers for their defense, to rein in the court," Rubio said.
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Rubio → expect → court
"If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, brick by brick, until Americans are threatened no longer."
How did the ICC respond?
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ICC → do → brick
The ICC said the US sanctions aimed to obstruct an "independent" international court supported by more than half of the UN's members.
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sanctions → say → members
"The court will continue to fully discharge its mandate, with independence and impartiality, acting only on the basis of the law and the evidence, for the sake of the countless victims of grave crimes," said ICC President Tomoko Akane, who already faces US sanctions.
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who → continue → sanctions
The ICC called the Rome Statute, which underpins membership of the court, a "collective promise" that the most serious international crimes must not go unpunished.
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crimes → call → court
"That promise is only as strong as the resolve of those who made it," the court said.
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court → make → it
It appealed to members to take "concrete actions" to ensure the court would still have the necessary means to continue its work.
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court → appeal → work
"No one should be punished for serving the cause of justice," it said.
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it → punish → justice
"History will judge this moment.
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History → judge → moment
Future generations, and above all the victims of mass atrocities, will ask how we responded when an insitution created to protect them came under attack.
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insitution → ask → attack
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Sanctions announced shortly after former ICC judge's Nobel prize
The State Department released the announcement a few hours after the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize was given to Navi Pillay, who was an ICC judge from 2003 to 2012.
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who → announce → 2012
Last year Trump repeatedly complained that he should have won the accolade for promoting world peace, prompting Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to present him with her trophy as a gift.
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he → complain → gift
Without naming names, the Nobel Committee made clear reference to the US sanctions against the ICC when announcing Pillay as this year's laureate.
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Committee → name → laureate
"The Norwegian Nobel Committee wants to remind the world that the rule of law national and international — underpins the system we have set up to ensure peace and resolve conflicts non-violently," the Committee wrote.
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Committee → want → conflicts
It said judges like Pillay "guard the thin red line between order and chaos," but lamented that "today ... these same judges are sanctioned, and their institutions are attacked."
What is the ICC?
The International Criminal Court is an intergovernmental organization and international tribunal based in the Dutch city of The Hague.
It's the only permanent international court with the theoretical jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for international crimes like genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and illegal aggression.
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It → say → humanity
The ICC was set up in 2002 and is underpinned by the Rome Statute treaty.
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ICC → set → treaty
More than half the countries in the world, 125 in total, are full parties to the Rome Statute, having signed and ratified it.
Several of the world's most significant powers — not least China, India, Russia, the US and Israel — do not recognize the court's jurisdiction.
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Several → sign → jurisdiction
There is, however, a grey area in that the court accepts challenges from ratified members against individuals from countries that do not recognize the court.
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that → be → court
That is why high-profile arrest warrants against Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, and Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have been issued in recent years — following respective complaints from Ukrainians and Palestinians.
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warrants → include → Ukrainians
Rubio has often led the charge, for instance, writing an opinion article for the Wall Street Journal in mid-July this year saying, "America never agreed to a world tribunal that can override our own courts and the Constitution."
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that → lead → courts
He argued it was possible for US "soldiers, police officers, Border Patrol agents and elected leaders" to be "dragged before an international court" and tried by judges "from random countries across the globe."
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soldiers → argue → globe
Just over a week later, on July 25, Venezuela's new administration — transformed after the US abduction of Nicolas Maduro in January — announced that it planned to withdraw from the Rome Statute and the ICC.
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it → transform → Statute
In response, the US State Department welcomed "the new Venezuelan government's partnership on American-led efforts to dismantle the corrupt and worthless ICC," calling on "all members of the ICC to withdraw from the Rome Statute."
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Department → welcome → Statute
A few days later, the military junta in Chad announced that it was withdrawing from the ICC.
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it → announce → ICC
It said it had done so after a US request, with Washington urging other African countries to follow in the Russian-backed junta's footsteps.
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Washington → say → footsteps
The recent sexual misconduct scandal surrounding the ICC's chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who was dismissed in July, provided more ammunition the US could aim at the court.
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US → surround → court
In August, the US imposed sanctions on the ICC's president, Japanese judge Tomoko Akane, and Abdoulaye Seye, a Senegalese trial lawyer at the court.
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US → impose → court
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you → rely → news
The Aporia
