US hits ICC president and senior prosecutor with sanctions in another move against the court

In a continued effort to dismantle the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Trump administration has imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, from Senegal. The sanctions freeze any assets held within U.S. jurisdictions or that come into contact with the U.S. financial system.

State Department Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed strong opposition to the ICC, labeling it as a corrupt and politicized supranational court that has abused its authority and exceeded its mandate. In a statement, Rubio declared that the administration will not tolerate the court's assault on state sovereignty.

The Trump administration's actions against the ICC are not new. The court has been accused of investigating or trying soldiers, commanders, and political officials from countries that are not members of the ICC, including the United States and Israel. The ICC promptly responded to the sanctions, asserting that they undermine the rule of law. It emphasized that when judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, the international legal order itself is at risk.