U.S. sanctions Japanese ICC chief, testing Tokyo’s support for global court
The move by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump presents a dilemma for Tokyo, a strong backer of multilateral groupings and a key American ally.
On Tuesday, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on several high-ranking officials from the International Criminal Court (ICC), intensifying its pushback against the tribunal as the Trump administration reduces its involvement in international organizations deemed detrimental to American interests. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sanctioned Tomoko Akane, the Japanese judge who leads the ICC, along with trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye under an executive order from last year.
The sanctions, grounded in the assertion that the ICC is "corrupt and fatally politicized," aim to freeze any U.S. property and financial assets they possess, restrict access to American services, and prohibit entry into the country.
Written by urgent.news from Japan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
