US announces sanctions against ICC president and lawyer

The United States has sanctioned the president of the International Criminal Court and a senior trial lawyer, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The sanctions stem from the Trump administration's ongoing campaign against the Hague-based court, which was founded in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

Rubio stated that the individuals targeted have actively supported the ICC's efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials without the consent of their governments. The International Criminal Court has condemned the sanctions, asserting that such actions endanger the rule of law and the institution's existence. The target of the sanctions, Tomoko Akane, a Japanese judge, and Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer from Senegal, are accused of engaging in activities that the ICC deems unjust.

This move follows a series of targeted sanctions against ICC officials for the court's arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant. The US has never been a member of the court, which only exercises jurisdiction if a member state fails to prosecute atrocities or if atrocities occur on the territory of non-member states.