US sanctions International Criminal Court president, trial lawyer in bid to dismantle body
US sanctions International Criminal Court president, trial lawyer in bid to dismantle body Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 08/18/2026 - 20:29 Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously made it clear he intends to take the court apart 'brick by brick' Japanese Judge Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, delivers a speech during a press conference at the Japan National…
US sanctions top ICC officials in bid to dismantle court, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated on Tuesday. The sanctions target the Japanese President of the International Criminal Court, Tomoko Akane, and Senegalese senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. This move is part of US President Donald Trump's mission to dismantle the ICC for investigating Israeli and potentially US officials for war crimes.
Neither the US nor its allies are ICC member states. The US argues the ICC has abused its authority and threatens state sovereignty. Other sanctioned individuals include former ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan and UN special rapporteur for Palestine. The sanctions freeze assets and restrict travel for non-US individuals assisting ICC investigations of US citizens or allies.
Three US-based rights groups and Palestinian rights advocates have challenged the sanctions in court, arguing they violate constitutional and religious freedoms.
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