US sanctions ICC chief Tomoko Akane of Japan

On Tuesday, the United States imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane of Japan, along with ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. The sanctions are part of Washington's campaign against the ICC, which the US accuses of being politicized. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that these individuals have been involved in the ICC's efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose governments have not consented to ICC jurisdiction.

The ICC responded, saying the US sanctions undermine the rule of law, as when judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it risks endangering the international legal order. The ICC, established in 2002, prosecutes individuals for the most serious crimes and acts as a last resort when countries lack adequate legal systems for accountability.

The US, not a party to the treaty that created the ICC, has previously sanctioned several ICC officials. The sanctions bar them from entering the US and from conducting transactions in the US financial system. The US launched a diplomatic offensive against the ICC last month, accusing it of threatening Americans and calling on partners to withdraw, a move already announced by Chad and Venezuela.

The ICC expressed concern over these withdrawals, warning that countries might undermine the collective pursuit of justice.