US sanctions ICC president, senior lawyer

The Trump administration on Tuesday imposed sanctions on two senior officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including its president, as Washington stepped up its campaign against the Hague-based tribunal.

The sanctions target ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan, and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer, Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, accusing them of having "directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction." "The ICC has repeatedly attempted to assert authority over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction or ratified the Rome Statute," Rubio said.

"This sets a dangerous precedent for all nations." The sanctions generally prohibit US persons from conducting transactions with Akane and Seye and effectively bar the two officials from accessing the US financial system.

The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, and rejects the tribunal's efforts to exercise jurisdiction over nationals of non-member states, including US personnel and Israeli officials.

Tensions surged after the ICC issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza conflict.

The ICC maintains it holds jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed within member territories, regardless of the suspect's citizenship.