U.S. sanctions ICC President Tomoko Akane, prosecutor over alleged sovereignty violations

The U.S. government has imposed financial sanctions on Tomoko Akane, the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye. The Treasury Department announced the measures Tuesday, freezing assets under the justification that the court undermines the sovereignty of the United States and its allies.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) prohibited financial transactions with the sanctioned officials and blocked any entities in which they hold a 50% or greater stake. A deadline of September 17 was set for third parties to settle outstanding transactions linked to their accounts.

Akane serves as the institutional representative of the ICC, while Seye has overseen investigations into the financing of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the supply of weapons to settlers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the action, accusing the court of ideological bias and calling it a "corrupt and deeply politicized supranational tribunal" that has "maliciously abused its authority."

This move fulfills a promise made by Rubio in July to disrupt the ICC's operational effectiveness. It aligns with an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in February, which declared ICC initiatives a "threat" to U.S. national security. Washington's primary objections stem from ICC investigations into the U.S. military's conduct in Afghanistan and arrest warrants issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant concerning alleged war crimes in Gaza.

With these sanctions, Akane and Seye join a list of targeted individuals that includes other ICC officials, a UN special rapporteur, and Palestinian human rights organizations. Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognizes the ICC's jurisdiction, as they are not signatories to the Rome Statute.

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La administración Trump ha sido clara: la Corte Penal Internacional es un tribunal supranacional corrupto y profundamente politizado que ha abusado maliciosamente de su autoridad y se ha extralimitado en su mandato. No toleraremos su ataque a la soberanía estatal