US Sanctions War Crimes Court After Pillay Nobel
Politics: Brazil
Key Facts
—Who. The United States government, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and the International Criminal Court (ICC), the permanent war-crimes court in The Hague.
—What. On Friday 9 October 2026 Washington sanctioned the ICC itself, not only individual judges, and barred US transactions with it.
—When. The sanctions came hours after the Nobel Committee in Oslo gave the 2026 Peace Prize to Navi Pillay, a South African jurist and former ICC judge.
—Brazil. Brazil is a member state of the court. No reaction from Itamaraty (Brazil’s foreign ministry) or the Lula government had been found by Friday evening.
—As of. 9 October 2026, 20:00 GMT.
The United States sanctioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday 9 October 2026, hours after Norway’s Nobel Committee gave the Peace Prize to former ICC judge Navi Pillay. Brazil is a member state of the court, and no reaction from Brasília had been found by Friday evening.
What We Know
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced in Oslo on 9 October 2026 that Navanethem “Navi” Pillay won the Peace Prize “for her efforts to promote peace and international law.” Pillay is a South African jurist who has served as a judge on the ICC and on the tribunal for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes linked the prize to judges who face sanctions and to institutions that are being attacked. He made that link on the day of the announcement, 9 October 2026.
Hours later the US State Department released a statement titled “Imposing Sanctions on the International Criminal Court.” Rubio said Washington will “ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate,” according to the Deseret News.
The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the court to its sanctions list on the same day, with an address on Oude Waalsdorperweg in The Hague. The entry carries the tag ICC-EO14203, which refers to Executive Order 14203, the presidential order behind the US sanctions on the court.
OFAC also issued four general licences, numbered 13 to 16, that allow certain dealings with the court. They cover telecommunications and enterprise software, pension payments and certain court detainees.
The Dispute Behind the Sanctions
Rubio said that America “never joined the court” and does not want it, according to the Deseret News. He spoke as the State Department announced the sanctions.
The ICC called the measure “an attempt to obstruct the course of justice” and “an assault on the rule of law.” The court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November 2024, which Israel rejects.
Where Brazil Stands
Brazil appears on the Assembly of States Parties list of member states, so it has accepted the court’s authority under the Rome Statute treaty. By Friday evening we found no statement on the sanctions from Itamaraty or from President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government.
Portugal’s foreign ministry did respond on 9 October, saying the sanctions undermine the fight against impunity. It said that respecting international law requires that institutions defending it can work free of pressure and interference.
What Is Not Known
We could not confirm any Brazilian government position, and we found no comment from Pillay on the sanctions. Nor is it clear how many other states will join Portugal in public criticism.
It is also unclear whether banks and companies outside the United States, including in Brazil, will cut ties with the court. No official source we reviewed says how the licences will work in practice.
What It Means for Travelers and US Readers
US companies and individuals now face limits on dealing with the court. Anyone supplying services to the ICC from the United States should check the OFAC licences.
The episode shows a widening gap between Washington and countries that back the court, a group that includes Brazil. The OFAC notice we reviewed contains no travel rules.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded it to Navanethem “Navi” Pillay on 9 October 2026 for her efforts to promote peace and international law. She is a South African jurist who served as a judge on the ICC.
What did the United States do to the ICC?
The US Treasury added the court itself to its sanctions list on 9 October 2026, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington will ban transactions with it. Four OFAC general licences allow certain dealings with the court.
Has Brazil responded to the sanctions?
We found no statement from Itamaraty or the Lula government by Friday evening. Brazil is a state party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the court.
Why does this matter to US readers?
The sanctions restrict what US companies and individuals can do with the court, and they set Washington against allies that back it. Portugal’s foreign ministry has already criticised the move.
Sources
Nobel Prize Committee · US Treasury (OFAC) · US State Department · ICC Assembly of States Parties · Deseret News · Diário de Notícias · O Tempo
Connected Coverage
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief