Adapted from an article originally published by The New York Sun: ‘Bureaucratic Black Hole’: The International Criminal Court Has Failed Its Mission

In a sharply critical exposé by The New York Sun, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is under fire for what many now view as a deeply flawed institution—one that has spent over $2 billion in 23 years, yet delivered only 11 convictions. Nestpoint’s Managing Director, John Thomas, contributed to the piece, offering clear-eyed insight into why the court’s reputation continues to erode on the world stage.

Thomas called out the ICC’s history of “selective justice” and underperformance. “With $2 billion spent, it’s a bureaucratic black hole,” he told the Sun. “It’s selective, hammering African states while ignoring China’s Uyghur camps or Iran’s terror networks.”

The article points to the court’s reluctance to pursue major global powers, highlighting its failure to prosecute any high-level figures from China, Russia, North Korea, or Iran, despite overwhelming evidence of state-sponsored atrocities. Thomas noted that even when the ICC issued a warrant for Vladimir Putin following the 2022 Ukraine invasion, it had little effect: “Unless Chinese leaders are also in the docket, there is no indication that power no longer trumps justice at the ICC.”

Further underscoring the court’s credibility issues, the recent decision to issue simultaneous warrants for both Hamas and Israeli leaders sparked outrage. Thomas critiqued the move as an attempt to create false moral equivalencies: “The court picks low-hanging fruit in Africa or targets Israel to score points with certain crowds.”

The U.S. has long held the ICC at arm’s length, and Thomas supports that stance. “We’ve got no business letting a court we don’t control mess with our allies or our interests,” he said, referencing President Trump’s 2025 sanctions on the ICC following its actions against Israel. “Trump’s sanctions on Khan were spot-on—send a message that we won’t tolerate bias.”

This piece affirms Nestpoint’s commitment to honest, critical analysis of international systems and its role in shaping responsible, sovereign-driven global policy.

Original Source: “‘Bureaucratic Black Hole’: The International Criminal Court Has Failed Its Mission” by Hollie McKay, The New York Sun. Read the full article.

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