US sanctions International Criminal Court president, senior lawyer
The United States has imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, and a senior prosecutor at the court, Abdoulaye Seye, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday.
The move marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against the Hague-based court, which was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity. The United States is not a member of the ICC.
Rubio said the two officials were sanctioned under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump last year that allows penalties against ICC personnel involved in investigations or prosecutions of officials from countries that have not accepted the court’s jurisdiction.
According to Rubio, Akane and Seye had participated directly in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials whose governments had not consented to the court’s authority.
The ICC condemned the sanctions, warning that targeting judicial officials for carrying out their duties threatens the international legal system and undermines the rule of law.
Seye is part of the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has also been nominated for election as an ICC judge.
Akane previously warned that US sanctions against ICC officials could severely disrupt the court’s operations and threaten its continued existence.
Washington imposed similar sanctions on several ICC prosecutors and judges last year over the court’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as its earlier investigation into alleged crimes involving US forces in Afghanistan.
The sanctions freeze any assets the targeted individuals hold in the United States and effectively restrict their access to the US financial system. The US Treasury Department has also allowed transactions involving Akane and Seye to be wound down until September 17.
US steps up pressure on ICC
The latest sanctions come amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to weaken the ICC. Last month, Rubio said Washington would intensify diplomatic efforts to persuade other countries to withdraw from the court, with several nations already taking steps in that direction.
Rubio has argued that the ICC could pose a threat to US personnel involved in immigration enforcement, military operations and strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
Trump, meanwhile, has said the campaign is primarily intended to protect Netanyahu and others from prosecution rather than himself.
Although the US has never joined the ICC, the court maintains that it can exercise jurisdiction over serious crimes committed in the territory of member states, including cases involving nationals of countries that are not members, where the legal conditions for jurisdiction are met.
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