US announces new sanctions on top ICC figures

The United States has announced new sanctions targeting high-ranking officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including its president, Judge Tomoko Akane, who began her three-year term in 2024.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that the Trump administration is imposing sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. This action marks the latest escalation in the administration's campaign to "dismantle" the court, which is empowered by over 120 member nations to investigate war crimes.

Rubio stated that these sanctions follow an order issued by President Donald Trump last year, which targeted the court. He accused Akane and Seye of directly participating in "efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction."

Rubio further asserted that "the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate. We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty."

The ICC has been contacted for comment, but neither President Trump nor the White House has issued a statement regarding the new sanctions.

This latest move builds on previous actions by the Trump administration, which has already sanctioned at least 11 ICC officials, including nine judges and the chief prosecutor. These sanctions involve asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on services from U.S. companies.

The prior sanctions were imposed in response to ICC investigations into US personnel in Afghanistan and warrants issued by the court against senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes in Gaza. Netanyahu has denied these allegations, claiming the court is motivated by antisemitism. Neither the US nor Israel are members of the ICC.

President Trump's opposition to the ICC dates back to his first term, when he labeled it a "threat" and informed the UN General Assembly that it possessed "no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority" as far as the US was concerned.

Last month, Rubio urged the ICC's 125 member countries to withdraw from the court as part of a US government initiative to dismantle it "brick by brick." Amid this increasing pressure, a US official indicated that Washington would "watch with interest" to see which nations complied with its request.

Established in 2002, the ICC holds international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes within member states or when a situation is referred by the UN Security Council.

Human rights organizations have criticized the Trump administration's efforts, viewing them as attempts to undermine international law and hinder global efforts to combat impunity. Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, commented last week that "The Trump administration seeks a get-out-of-jail-free card for whomever it chooses."

Evenson's remarks coincided with a lawsuit filed by four leading US human rights groups against the Trump administration, challenging its campaign to dismantle the ICC as unconstitutional. Human Rights Watch, the Open Society Institute, the American Friends Service Committee, and the Center for Constitutional Rights argued in their New York lawsuit that the sanctions impede their ability to collaborate with the court in pursuing justice for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity worldwide.

In June, three ICC judges—Kimberly Prost of Canada, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin—also sued the administration in a New York federal court, asserting that sanctions imposed on them last year were unlawful and designed to exert extrajudicial pressure to punish and coerce them. At the time, a White House official stated that Trump had lawfully exercised his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in imposing the sanctions.

Sanctions significantly hinder individuals' ability to conduct even routine financial transactions, as banks with ties to the US or those that process transactions in dollars are expected to comply with the restrictions.

Since Trump's return to office, his administration, led by Rubio, has adopted a more aggressive stance toward the court. In a July video statement announcing the campaign to dismantle the court, Rubio accused the ICC of "waging a war against our country" using "statutes, compacts and the force of so-called international law." He added, "Today, it threatens every aspect of our political and legal system. If they believe they can deprive us of our sovereignty, we will teach them the full meaning of American resolve."