The United States on October 9 imposed sanctions on officials of the International Criminal Court. The move came just hours after Navi Pillay won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions. He accused the court of overreach beyond its mandate. The ICC has 125 member states and handles war-crimes cases around the world.

The court issued a statement defending its independence. It said the sanctions will not stop its judicial work. Several member states criticised the US move as pressure on justice.

The timing of the sanctions drew wide attention. Analysts said Washington is signalling displeasure with the court’s recent actions. Pillay’s Gaza report was cited among the reasons for her Nobel win.

The ICC is based in The Hague in the Netherlands. The US is not a member of the court. Past US administrations have also clashed with the ICC over its investigations. European allies of the US voiced concern over the sanctions.