US sanctions ICC president and senior trial lawyer in latest pressure campaign

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, escalating Washington's campaign against the tribunal. The move was announced on Tuesday and follows earlier US measures against other ICC officials. According to the supplied material, the sanctions are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to weaken the court.

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Rubio said the two officials were being targeted for what Washington sees as involvement in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials whose governments have not accepted the court's jurisdiction. The measures include asset freezes, travel bans and restrictions on services from US companies. The supplied material says the Trump administration has already sanctioned at least 11 ICC officials, including nine judges and the chief prosecutor.

The ICC, based in The Hague, was established in 2002 and has jurisdiction over genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in member states or in situations referred to it under international law. The court is backed by more than 120 member countries, but neither the United States nor Israel is a member. That has made disputes over its reach especially sensitive when investigations involve US personnel or Israeli officials.

The latest action comes after earlier ICC investigations into alleged crimes involving US personnel in Afghanistan and arrest warrants issued for top Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over the war in Gaza. The supplied material says Washington views those cases as an attack on state sovereignty, while Netanyahu has denied the allegations and accused the court of antisemitism. Rubio last month also urged the ICC's member countries to withdraw from the court as part of a campaign to dismantle it "brick by brick".

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Akane began her three-year term as ICC president in 2024, while Seye is identified in the supplied material as a senior trial lawyer from Senegal. The sanctions deepen a long-running confrontation between the US and the court that dates back to Donald Trump's first term, when he described the ICC as a threat and said it had no jurisdiction, legitimacy or authority over the United States. The White House has not yet commented on the latest move.

What remains unclear is how far the US will extend the sanctions campaign and whether the ICC or its member states will issue a formal response. The immediate impact will depend on how broadly the restrictions are enforced through financial and legal channels. The next developments to watch are any reaction from The Hague, possible diplomatic pushback from member states and whether Washington adds further names to its sanctions list.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Tomoko Akane, the president and judge of the International Criminal Court, in a fresh move targeting the Hague-based tribunal. The Treasury Department also sanctioned Abdoulaye Seye, a staff member in the court's prosecutor's office linked to investigations involving the Palestinian issue. The measures were announced on Tuesday and are part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration against the court.

According to the supplied material, Akane has led the court since 2024. The sanctions were published by the US Treasury Department and are expected to restrict the targets' access to assets, services and transactions under US jurisdiction. The action follows earlier US pressure on ICC officials and is presented by Washington as a response to what it sees as illegitimate court action involving the United States and Israel.

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The International Criminal Court is based in The Hague and was created under the Rome Statute in 1998. It prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression when national authorities are unwilling or unable to act. Unlike other international courts, it judges people rather than states or governments, which makes disputes over jurisdiction especially sensitive when major powers or their allies are involved.

The latest sanctions come after the court issued arrest warrants in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defence minister Yoav Gallant over actions linked to the war in Gaza. The supplied material says Israel and the United States do not recognise the court's jurisdiction. It also says Washington has argued that ICC actions against officials from the US and Israel amount to interference in national sovereignty.

The move is part of a wider effort by the Trump administration to weaken the court's work, particularly in cases involving US citizens or strategic allies. The supplied material says Washington has already imposed measures on several judges and prosecutors since 2025. It also notes that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth recently urged Latin American countries to leave the court, calling it a threat to state sovereignty and accusing it of an illegal attempt to extend its power.

What remains unclear is whether the sanctions will be expanded further or prompt a formal response from the court or its member states. The immediate practical effect will depend on how broadly the US applies restrictions on financial and legal dealings. The next developments to watch are any ICC reaction, possible diplomatic pushback, and whether other governments publicly align with or oppose Washington's position.

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