US sanctions ICC president and senior trial lawyer

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, escalating its campaign against the Hague-based tribunal Source: AP News. The measures, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday, freeze any US-based assets and bar the two from entering the US Source: CNA. Rubio accused them of engaging in efforts to investigate or prosecute officials from countries that have not consented to ICC jurisdiction Source: DW News.

Background

The US, which is not an ICC member, has long criticized the court for investigating American and Israeli actions. In 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the Gaza war, prompting previous US sanctions Source: Al Jazeera. The Trump administration has called the ICC a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court" and has urged allies to withdraw; Chad and Venezuela have already done so Source: SCMP.

Reaction

The ICC condemned the sanctions, stating they "undermine the rule of law" and that "when judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk" Source: Euronews. The court said it remains "undeterred" Source: DW News. Legal challenges have emerged: three ICC judges sued the administration in June, and four human rights groups filed suit last week, arguing the sanctions deny justice to war crime victims Source: Al Jazeera.

What's next

Rubio hinted at further punitive measures, and the State Department has outlined a broader campaign to "systematically disable" the court's operations Source: Euronews. The sanctions take effect on September 17 Source: Al Jazeera.