International Criminal Court Denounces U.S. Sanctions Against President and Prosecutor

The International Criminal Court issued a sharp rebuke Wednesday after the U.S. State Department announced sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. The court characterized the action as a direct assault on its institutional autonomy and reiterated its commitment to pursuing accountability for global atrocities without interference.

The latest sanctions freeze any American assets held by the two officials and restrict their access to the U.S. financial system. The Trump administration has now targeted nine of the ICC’s 18 judges, both deputy prosecutors, the former chief prosecutor, and one additional prosecution staffer, according to court records. Washington contends the tribunal has exceeded its authority by investigating military and political leaders from non-member states including Israel and the United States.

State Department Secretary Marco Rubio declared the ICC “a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court” that has abused its powers. He vowed to pursue a comprehensive strategy to dismantle what he described as a threat to American sovereignty, including pressuring the court’s 125 member states to withdraw and imposing sanctions on organizations that cooperate with it.

The court responded that threatening judicial officials undermines the entire international legal framework. Officials have experienced severe practical consequences from prior sanctions, with Canadian judge Kimberly Prost losing credit card access and smart home device functionality after being targeted last year.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment with the sanctions and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the ICC’s rule-of-law mission. Venezuela and Chad have announced plans to withdraw from the court, bringing the total number of departures in the past year to five, though each withdrawal requires one year to become official.

Human Rights Watch characterized the sanctions campaign as contempt for international law designed to shield American and Israeli officials from accountability. The civil rights organization joined three other groups in filing suit in New York federal court last week, challenging both Trump’s executive order targeting the ICC and sanctions against a U.N. human rights expert and Palestinian rights groups.