US imposes sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court

The United States imposed sanctions on the president of the ICC (International Criminal Court), Tomoko Akane, and the Court’s senior lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, stated that the measures are part of the Donald Trump (Republican Party) government’s campaign against the court’s actions.

In a publication, Rubio said that the US administration maintains a mission to prevent US citizens from being subjected to the jurisdiction of the ICC, a court based in The Hague, Netherlands.

“Last month, I launched a diplomatic campaign to dismantle the ICC’s threat to our national sovereignty. The Trump administration is sanctioning ICC President Tomoko Akane and Senior Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye in our unwavering mission to protect Americans from this farce of a court.”he declared.

Rubio also referenced the United States Declaration of Independence to defend the measure.

“Out of respect for our Declaration of Independence, Americans will never be transported overseas to stand trial for make-believe crimes.”he stated.

According to Reutersthe sanctions freeze any assets of Akane and Seye in the United States and, in practice, restrict their access to the North American financial system. The Treasury Department authorized until September 17th the completion of certain transactions involving those sanctioned.

Akane is Japanese and presides over the ICC. Seye, Senegalese, is part of the Prosecutor’s Office team that requested an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was also nominated to run for a position as a court judge.

The measures are part of the offensive announced by Rubio in July to weaken the ICC. At the time, the Secretary of State said that the Court represented a threat to North American sovereignty and stated that the government would pressure other countries to reduce support for the court. The United States is not part of the ICC.

The court was created by the Rome Statute and prosecutes war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The Trump administration had already sanctioned other members of the Court, including prosecutors and judges.

This Wednesday (19.Aug.2026), the Japanese government classified as “very regrettable” the United States’ decision to sanction Akane. The Japanese Foreign Ministry said the country maintains its support for the ICC and the Court’s work to prosecute the most serious international crimes.

The ICC also condemned the sanctions and stated that the measures represent an attack on the institution’s independence. According to the court, 13 of its employees are currently under US sanctions, including 9 of the 18 judges.