The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has issued economic sanctions against the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a top prosecutor, continuing a broader initiative to diminish the tribunal’s authority.
Washington claims the Hague-based court is unfairly targeting American and Israeli service members for alleged offenses in Gaza, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
According to the State Department, the financial penalties target Japanese magistrate Tomoko Akane, who serves as ICC President, alongside Senegalese senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. The measures block any property or assets belonging to the officials that fall within American jurisdiction or pass through U.S. banking networks.
“The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.”
This action represents the latest escalation by U.S. officials against the international tribunal. Washington contends that the court exceeds its scope when launching investigations or legal proceedings against personnel, military leaders, and government authorities from nations that are non-signatories to its founding treaty, including the United States and Israel.
Responding swiftly to the announcement, the ICC condemned the punitive measures and echoed its previous pushback against U.S. pressure, warning that the sanctions “undermine the rule of law.”
“When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” it said.