This French judge approved Netanyahu’s arrest warrant. Now Trump is targeting him | Owen Jones
In a striking development within international law and geopolitics, three judges from the International Criminal Court (ICC), including French judge Nicolas Guillou, have found themselves on a sanctions list alongside notorious figures such as al-Qaida operatives and drug cartels. This unusual sanctioning follows their approval of arrest warrants for prominent Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Mohammed Deif, a key figure in Hamas. The United States, which imposed these sanctions, has labeled the judges’ actions as “illegitimate and baseless,” asserting that they undermine the interests of America and its allies, particularly Israel.
The repercussions for Judge Guillou are severe and far-reaching. He has become a victim of a broader political narrative, unable to conduct basic activities such as online shopping or utilizing most banking services, effectively blacklisted by a significant portion of the global financial system. This situation highlights the increasing tension between international judicial processes and the political will of powerful nations. The sanctions, which encompass a list of around 15,000 individuals, reflect a growing trend where legal decisions made by international bodies can lead to personal and professional repercussions for judges, particularly when those decisions intersect with sensitive geopolitical issues.
This incident raises critical questions about the integrity and independence of international judicial institutions in the face of geopolitical pressures. It underscores the precarious balance between upholding the rule of law and navigating the complicated landscape of international relations. As the ICC continues to operate amid these challenges, the implications of such sanctions on judicial independence and the enforcement of international law remain a topic of heated debate. The case of Nicolas Guillou serves as a poignant example of how the intersection of law and politics can lead to significant personal and institutional consequences, prompting a reevaluation of the so-called “rules-based order” that governs international relations today.
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
Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our
letters
section, please
click here
.
Continue reading…
