U.S. imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court officials

The United States government announced on Tuesday the imposition of sanctions against the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the measures were taken under a 2025 executive order authorizing penalties against court personnel who attempt to investigate or prosecute officials from countries that have not consented to ICC jurisdiction.

These sanctions include travel bans to the United States and the freezing of any transactions involving the U.S. financial system. The ICC, a Hague-based institution established in 2002, condemned the action, asserting that threatening judicial actors undermines the rule of law and the international legal order. The U.S. is not a member of the court and maintains that the tribunal is politicized.

While the U.S. administration framed the decision as a defense of its sovereignty, media sources suggest the move is a direct response to the court's 2024 issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding allegations of war crimes in Gaza. The ICC continues to operate, though the Trump administration remains committed to its ongoing campaign against the institution's authority over non-member state officials.