Senegal: U.S. Sanctions Two More International Criminal Court Officials
[HRW] Washington -- The United States government on August 18, 2026, designated two additional International Criminal Court (ICC) officials for sanctions under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump in February 2025, Human Rights Watch said today. Those sanctioned are Tomoko Akane, from Japan, the president of the ICC, and Abdoulaye Seye, from Senegal, an ICC senior trial lawyer.
On August 18, 2026, the United States imposed sanctions on two additional International Criminal Court (ICC) officials, further extending the reach of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February 2025. The sanctioned individuals are Tomoko Akane, the president of the ICC from Japan, and Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer from Senegal.
This decision comes after Human Rights Watch, alongside several other organizations, filed a lawsuit in a US federal court challenging the Trump administration's sanctions against ICC prosecutors, judges, a UN human rights expert, and three Palestinian human rights groups. Balkees Jarrah, the Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, commented that the US government's sanctions "reflect the Trump administration's utter contempt for international law and a naked attempt to shield American and Israeli officials implicated in serious crimes from justice."
He urged ICC member countries to condemn this misuse of sanctions and ensure the court can continue its essential work.
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