US imposes fresh sanctions on ICC president amid pressure campaign

The United States announced new sanctions on Tuesday against the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, along with senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. The step forms part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration, which it describes as an effort to "dismantle" the court.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two officials were being sanctioned for directly participating in ICC efforts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials from countries whose governments have not accepted the court's jurisdiction. Rubio described the ICC as a "corrupt and fatally politicised" institution, claiming it had abused its authority and repeatedly sought to exercise power over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not ratified the Rome Statute.

Ties to the Netanyahu case

Washington has long accused the ICC of politicised actions, particularly regarding its treatment of Israel. In November 2024, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.

In response to the fresh sanctions, the ICC said the measures undermine the rule of law, warning that threatening judicial actors for applying the law places the entire international legal order at risk.

In July, the US State Department had already outlined plans to launch a campaign aimed at disabling the court's ability to function, including additional sanctions, visa revocations and travel bans on ICC personnel. The US has previously sanctioned several court members, including a number of judges.