US imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court chief Akane of Japan
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on Tomoko Akane, the first Japanese to lead the International Criminal Court, wit
The United States imposed sanctions on Tomoko Akane, Japan's inaugural president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to a Kyodo report. The administration of President Donald Trump accused the Hague-based court of overstepping state sovereignty. Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled the ICC as a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court" that has misused its authority.
Alongside Akane, Senegal's Abdoulaye Seye, an ICC senior trial lawyer, was sanctioned. Both individuals, who began their three-year terms in 2024, were targeted for the ICC's actions to investigate, arrest, or prosecute officials without their governments' consent. Assets held in the United States by the sanctioned individuals will be frozen, and their access to the U.S. financial system will be restricted.
The U.S., not a member of the ICC, does not acknowledge its jurisdiction over U.S. nationals. Established in 2002, the ICC has jurisdiction over genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, with 125 member states. In February 2025, Trump signed an executive order criticizing the court for its actions against the U.S. and its ally Israel, including issuing an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
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