US Sanctions International Criminal Court President

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The United States has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane of Japan and Senegalese ICC prosecutor Abdoulaye Seghé, escalating Washington’s campaign against the Hague-based court.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two officials had directly participated in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials whose governments had not accepted the ICC’s jurisdiction.

The United States has not joined the treaty that established the ICC and has previously sanctioned court officials. The measures primarily bar targeted individuals from entering the US and restrict property and financial transactions involving them.

Washington’s sanctions largely stem from the ICC’s investigations into Israel, a US ally. In 2024, the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.

The US launched a broader diplomatic campaign against the ICC last month, accusing the court of threatening Americans and urging other countries to withdraw.

Chad and Venezuela have recently followed the US in leaving the court. Rubio said he expected other countries to follow.

ICC Says Sanctions Threaten Rule of Law

The ICC condemned the US measures, saying they “undermine the rule of law”.

“When pressure is placed on judicial bodies to prevent them from applying the law, the international legal order itself is put at risk,” the court said.

The ICC said it remained “steadfast” and would continue supporting its staff and victims of serious atrocities.

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