US announces sanctions against ICC president and lawyer

The United States has escalated its campaign against the International Criminal Court by imposing sanctions on its president, Tomoko Akane, and a senior trial lawyer, Abdoulaye Seye. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions Tuesday, citing an executive order that allows for penalties against individuals involved in ICC actions targeting countries that do not recognize the court's jurisdiction. Rubio stated that Akane, a Japanese judge, and Seye, a Senegalese national, "directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials" from such nations. The ICC, established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, is not joined by the U.S. The court issued a strong condemnation, asserting that the sanctions threaten judicial actors and undermine the international legal order. This action follows previous U.S. sanctions against ICC officials, including those related to arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, as well as a past probe into U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets held by the targeted individuals and severely restrict their access to the global financial system. Several ICC judges and advocacy groups have filed lawsuits challenging the legality of the U.S. sanctions, arguing they infringe upon constitutional rights and hinder efforts to seek justice for atrocities worldwide. The U.S. administration has also pursued a diplomatic campaign to encourage other countries to withdraw from the ICC.

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These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.