The former judge of the Special Court for Kosovo, now part of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has been targeted by harsh sanctions from the Trump administration.
Due to the arrest warrant against Israeli leaders, Nicolas Guillou finds himself listed alongside terrorists on Washington's blacklists, losing access to bank accounts, credit cards and basic digital services.
Frenchman Nicolas Guillou has been working for a year at the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prosecutes war crimes and is headquartered in The Hague.
Previously, 50-year-old Guillou, who is an international law expert, worked for the special tribunals of Kosovo and Lebanon.
In 2023, Guillou and other ICC leaders issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for crimes against humanity under the UN Charter. The indictment specifically mentions the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia. Putin's prosecution came as no surprise, the Swiss portal writes. Watson in an analysis.
The situation changed in November 2024, when the ICC also wanted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They are suspected of committing genocide in Gaza.
The US, as Israel's protector, immediately mobilized against the ICC in The Hague at Trump's behest. Sanctions were also imposed on nine judges and three prosecutors. Guillou is among them.
In his only interview so far with the French newspaper "Le Monde", he revealed that for American citizens and companies he is now a "persona non grata". Any contact with him is prohibited. He no longer has access to platforms such as Amazon, Airbnb or Paypal.
"For example, I made a hotel reservation in France through Expedia. A few hours later I received an email saying that this was not possible due to sanctions," he reported.
A French bank with ties to the US has also closed Guillou's accounts. His credit cards such as Visa, American Express or Mastercard no longer work.
"From one day to the next you are left without means of payment," explained Guillou, who for American justice is now as isolated as the 15 terrorists, gang leaders or mafia bosses on Washington's sanctions list.
The major powers (USA, Russia), through their veto, prevent ICC investigations on their territory or in allies such as Israel. However, Putin was indicted through Ukraine, while Netanyahu through Palestine - a legal maneuver of international law. This is supported by human rights organizations. /Telegraph/
