US Administration Imposes Sanctions on ICC President and Senior Lawyer

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has added the head of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as one of its senior lawyers to a list of sanctioned individuals, including Japanese Judge Tomoko Akane.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the widening sanctions as part of his campaign to dismantle the international court, stating the move aims to protect Americans from what he called a sham of a court.

Akane, who has served as the ICC's president since March 2024, and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye from Senegal now face asset freezes and transaction limitations from US-based entities, effective September 17.

The US has previously sanctioned more than a dozen judges and prosecutors from the ICC, alongside financial restrictions against human rights groups and figures like United Nations special rapporteur Francesca Albanese.

In response, three ICC judges sued the Trump administration in June over the sanctions, while the court itself has denounced the measures as an erosion of the international legal order and the rule of law.

The Trump administration maintains that the ICC overstepped its authority by opening investigations into actions committed by the US and its close ally, Israel, neither of which are members of the court.

The ICC previously opened probes into allegations of US war crimes in Afghanistan and issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant regarding actions in Gaza.

Rubio reiterated his criticisms, calling the court a politicized supranational body and hinting at further punitive measures to protect state sovereignty.