US imposes sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane, according to Treasury Department

The United States has imposed sanctions on Tomoko Akane, the Japanese judge serving as president of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The U.S. Treasury Department announced the sanctions Tuesday, continuing a campaign by the Trump administration against the international body, which the U.S. does not belong to.

The sanctions freeze any assets Akane may hold within the United States and effectively sever her ties to the U.S. financial system. This measure significantly impacts international banks that maintain close relationships with the U.S. financial system.

This action follows previous sanctions placed on ICC officials last year. Those sanctions were cited as a response to the ICC's 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. In June, three ICC judges filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging the legality of these sanctions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently declared that the administration would intensify its efforts to undermine the ICC. He plans a diplomatic campaign to encourage other countries to withdraw from the court. Rubio argued that the ICC poses a threat to U.S. personnel involved in enforcing immigration policies and conducting military operations. He characterized the ICC as a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate."

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The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court (ICC) 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.