US Sanctions ICC President Tomoko Akane, Senior Prosecutor in Latest Clash with Hague Court

The United States has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced, escalating the Trump administration’s campaign against the Hague-based court. Rubio said the two were sanctioned under an executive order issued last year targeting ICC officials involved in investigations or prosecutions against individuals whose governments have not consented to the court’s jurisdiction.

The ICC condemned the sanctions, warning that targeting judicial officials threatens the international rule of law. Seye is part of the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and has also been nominated for election as an ICC judge. The sanctions freeze any US assets held by the targeted officials and restrict their access to the US financial system, while a Treasury license allows certain transactions involving them to be wound down through September 17.

The latest measures come after Washington imposed sanctions on several ICC prosecutors and judges last year over the court’s actions concerning Netanyahu, former Israeli military affairs minister Yoav Gallant and its investigation into US troops in Afghanistan. Akane has warned that US sanctions could seriously undermine the court’s operations and threaten its existence, while Rubio has pledged to intensify diplomatic efforts against the ICC, including encouraging other countries to withdraw from the institution.