ICC condemns US sanctions on its President and senior lawyer

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday strongly criticised the United States after Washington imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, describing the move as a direct attack on the court's independence.

The US announced the sanctions on Tuesday as part of its continuing campaign against the ICC, which Washington has accused of being politically motivated and corrupt. The ICC, however, said the measures amounted to a flagrant attempt to undermine an independent and impartial judicial institution, AFP reported.

The latest sanctions follow earlier US action against several ICC officials, largely linked to the court's investigations and actions concerning Israel. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctioned individuals had been involved in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials from governments that had not accepted the ICC's jurisdiction.

Japan also objected to the measures, reiterating its support for the ICC and its role in prosecuting serious international crimes and upholding the rule of law. Japan, a close US ally and the ICC's largest financial contributor, is a member of the court, while the United States is not a party to the Rome Statute.

The Netherlands also expressed opposition to the sanctions. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said international courts and tribunals should be allowed to carry out their mandates freely.

Human rights organisations were similarly critical of the latest US action. Human Rights Watch described the sanctions as part of what it saw as the Trump administration's disregard for international law and an effort to protect US and Israeli officials from potential accountability.

The Trump administration has previously sanctioned ICC officials following the court's actions involving Israel, including the arrest warrant issued in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza. The sanctions restrict the targeted officials' entry into the US and limit their access to the American financial system.

Established in 2002 under the Rome Statute, the ICC investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and other grave international offences when national legal systems are unwilling or unable to pursue accountability.

The United States signed the Rome Statute but never ratified it. Israel, Russia and China are also not members of the ICC. Russia itself issued arrest warrants for senior ICC officials after the court issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin in 2023 over alleged crimes connected to the war in Ukraine.

Akane, who has served as an ICC judge since 2018, became president of the court in March 2024.