This French judge approved Netanyahu’s arrest warrant. Now Trump is targeting him | Owen Jones
In a striking development that has reignited debates around international law and geopolitical power dynamics, three judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC) have been sanctioned by the United States after issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other high-profile figures. This action has placed these judges, including French judge Nicolas Guillou, on a sanctions list alongside notorious individuals such as al-Qaida terrorists and drug cartels. The U.S. government accused the judges of engaging in “illegitimate and baseless actions” that target Israel, a close ally, thus drawing a sharp line in the sand regarding the ICC’s jurisdiction and authority in international affairs.
The implications of these sanctions are profound, particularly for Guillou, who has found himself effectively ostracized from the global financial system. His attempts to book a hotel in France through online platforms were thwarted, demonstrating the extensive reach of U.S. sanctions which have rendered him unable to access basic services like online shopping and banking. This situation raises critical questions about the influence of U.S. foreign policy on international judicial processes and the broader concept of a “rules-based order.” Critics argue that such punitive measures undermine the independence of international institutions like the ICC and serve as a warning to judges and officials who dare to challenge the prevailing geopolitical narratives.
The reactions to these sanctions highlight the growing tension between the U.S. and international institutions. Supporters of the ICC argue that the court plays a vital role in holding powerful leaders accountable for war crimes and human rights violations, while detractors claim that it is being weaponized against nations aligned with U.S. interests. The case of Nicolas Guillou serves as a poignant reminder of the precarious position of judges operating in a politically charged environment, where their decisions can have far-reaching consequences not just for justice, but for their personal and professional lives as well. As the world watches, this incident underscores the complex interplay between law, politics, and power on the global stage.
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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