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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Elections & Politics

US imposes new sanctions on ICC president, senior lawyer

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • The US has imposed new sanctions on the president and a senior lawyer of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
  • Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the sanctions target individuals involved in ICC investigations against officials of non-consenting nations.
  • The ICC, which prosecutes war crimes and genocide, is not recognized by the US, which views it as a politicized entity threatening American personnel.

The United States has escalated its conflict with the International Criminal Court (ICC) by imposing new sanctions on its president and a senior trial lawyer. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday that the Trump administration targeted ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese judge, and Abdoulaye Seye, a Senegalese trial lawyer.

Rubio stated that 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." He further described the move as part of Washington's "unwavering mission to protect Americans from this sham of a court," according to a post on X.

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.

— Marco RubioExplaining the rationale behind the new US sanctions against ICC officials.

The ICC, established in 2002 and based in The Hague, prosecutes war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity. The US is not a member of the court. The ICC asserts jurisdiction when member states are unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities, but it can also prosecute nationals of non-member states for crimes committed on member state territory.

The Trump Administration has been clear: The International Criminal Court is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate. We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.

— State DepartmentDescribing the US government's official stance on the ICC.

Rubio argued that the ICC poses a threat to US personnel involved in immigration policies or military operations. The State Department issued a statement calling the ICC a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court" that has "maliciously abused its authority." The US has vowed to resist what it calls the court's "assault on state sovereignty."

This action follows previous US sanctions imposed after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant. The US has also been campaigning to persuade other countries to withdraw from the ICC, with Chad and Venezuela already having done so. In response, three ICC judges and four human rights groups have sued the Trump administration, arguing the sanctions are illegal and deny justice to victims of war crimes.

The ICC on Tuesday said it remains 'undeterred' and stands behind all

— International Criminal CourtThe ICC's initial reaction to the latest US sanctions.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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