Key facts
- Nobel Peace Prize laureate Navi Pillay called sanctions on ICC judges 'absolutely shocking'.
- Pillay stated international law and human rights are under significant political attack.
- The US announced sanctions on the ICC, vowing to cripple its operations.
- Israel responded angrily to Pillay's award, calling it a legitimization of 'anti-Israel hatred'.
- Pillay has a career defending international law, including work on genocide allegations in Gaza, Rwanda, and Myanmar.
Nuremberg, Germany -- Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has sharply criticized sanctions imposed on judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), labeling such political pressure on the judiciary as "absolutely shocking."
Pillay, who also previously served as a judge on the ICC, stated in an interview that international law and human rights are currently facing significant political attacks, which is particularly evident in the actions against the ICC. Her comments come after the United States announced sanctions aimed at crippling the tribunal's operations, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio vowing to "end the ICC" if it does not cease its threats.