The United States has announced new sanctions against the president and a senior lawyer of the International Criminal Court (ICC), escalating its efforts to counter the tribunal's investigations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the sanctions target ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. This action follows President Donald Trump's previous order last year aimed at dismantling the court, which is empowered by over 120 member countries to investigate war crimes.
Rubio accused Akane and Seye of directly participating in ICC efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials from governments that have not consented to the court's jurisdiction. He characterized the ICC as a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court" that has "maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate," asserting that the U.S. "will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty."
The sanctions include asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on services from U.S. companies. These measures can severely impact individuals' abilities to conduct financial transactions, as any banks with U.S. ties or that operate in U.S. dollars are expected to comply.
This latest action adds to existing sanctions placed on at least 11 other ICC officials, including judges and the chief prosecutor. Those prior sanctions were imposed in retaliation for ICC investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and for warrants issued against top Israeli officials, such as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, concerning alleged war crimes in Gaza. Neither the U.S. nor Israel are members of the ICC.
The Trump administration's opposition to the ICC dates back to Trump's first term, when he declared the court a "threat" lacking "jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority" concerning the U.S.
Last month, Rubio urged the ICC's 125 member countries to withdraw from the court as part of a broader U.S. campaign to dismantle it "brick by brick."
Human rights organizations have criticized the U.S. campaign, viewing it as an attempt to undermine international law and hinder efforts to combat impunity. Four leading U.S. human rights groups have filed a lawsuit in New York, arguing that the sanctions prevent them from working with the court to seek justice for international crimes and are unconstitutional. In June, three ICC judges also filed a lawsuit in a New York federal court challenging the sanctions imposed on them, asserting the measures were unlawful.
The ICC, established in 2002, has international jurisdiction to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes in member states or when referred by the UN Security Council. The U.S. official stated that Washington would "watch with interest" which countries heed its call to withdraw from the court. The ICC has been approached for comment. The White House has not yet commented on the latest sanctions.