International Criminal Court chief warns against ‘demise of international rule of law’ after US sanctions

Tokyo, Aug 21 — The chief of the International Criminal Court, Tomoko Akane from Japan, issued a stern warning on Friday against the "demise of international rule of law" following the United States imposing sanctions on her. In a statement shared on X by her publisher, Bungei Shunju, Akane acknowledged that the recent sanctions were anticipated, yet emphasized that the crucial aspect is preventing such actions from marking the start of a downward spiral in the integrity of the international legal framework.

On Tuesday, the United States targeted Akane and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye from Senegal as part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration against what it perceives as a "corrupt and dangerously politicized" institution. The sanctions imposed on both individuals prevent them from entering the United States and from engaging in financial transactions within the U.S. system.

Akane's first public remarks since the sanctions were issued came in her statement, which emerged just hours after the International Criminal Court expressed severe disapproval of the U.S. actions, branding them as "flagrant attacks" on the court's independence.

This escalation in tensions follows a series of sanctions previously imposed by Washington on several ICC officials, actions that many interpret as a direct response to the court's investigations into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, a matter of particular significance to the United States due to its alliance with Israel.