This French judge approved Netanyahu’s arrest warrant. Now Trump is targeting him | Owen Jones
In a striking development that underscores the tensions surrounding international law and geopolitical alliances, three judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) have been sanctioned by the United States and placed on a list alongside terrorists and criminal organizations. This unprecedented move follows their decision to approve arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, the former military commander of Hamas. The U.S. government has criticized the ICC’s actions as “illegitimate and baseless,” asserting that these judges have engaged in activities that target the U.S. and its allies, particularly Israel. This incident raises significant questions about the integrity of international legal institutions and their ability to operate independently in a politically charged environment.
One of the judges affected by these sanctions, French jurist Nicolas Guillou, has found his life profoundly impacted. He can no longer conduct basic online transactions, such as booking hotels or using bank services, as he is effectively “blacklisted” by a vast portion of the global banking system. The sanctions imposed on Guillou and his colleagues are emblematic of a broader trend where judicial decisions that conflict with the interests of powerful nations can lead to severe personal and professional repercussions for judges. The U.S. sanctions list, which includes around 15,000 individuals, now links these judges to figures like al-Qaida terrorists and drug cartels, a comparison that illustrates the extreme measures taken by the U.S. to exert influence over international legal proceedings.
This situation not only highlights the precarious position of the ICC but also reflects the broader implications of the so-called “rules-based order.” Critics argue that the enforcement of international law is often selective and influenced by political agendas, particularly when powerful nations feel their interests are threatened. The sanctions against these judges may deter future actions by the ICC, effectively chilling the pursuit of justice in conflict situations where powerful states are involved. As the international community grapples with these complex dynamics, the case of Nicolas Guillou serves as a poignant reminder of the challenges faced by those who seek to uphold the rule of law in an increasingly polarized world.
Three ICC judges have been put on a sanctions
list with terrorists after approving an arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister.
This is the charade of the ‘rules-based order’
The fate of one French judge is a case study in the west’s long unravelling. Nicolas Guillou cannot shop online. When he used Expedia to book a hotel in his own country, the reservation was cancelled within hours. He is “blacklisted by much of the world’s banking system”, unable to use most bank cards.
Guillou, you see, has been sanctioned by the United States, putting him on a
15,000-strong list
alongside al-Qaida terrorists, drug cartels and Vladimir Putin. Why? Because alongside two other judges of the international criminal court pre-trial chamber I, he approved arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, the former commander of Hamas’s military wing. Guillou and his colleagues had “actively engaged in the ICC’s illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America or our close ally, Israel”,
the US claimed
when imposing the sanctions in June. All are now barred from entering the US – but that is the least of the consequences.
Owen Jones is a Guardian columnist
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