ICC hits back after US announces fresh sanctions on senior court figures

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - THE HAGUE — The International Criminal Court on Wednesday slammed the latest US sanctions targeting senior ICC staff, including its president, as a “flagrant attack” on the global tribunal’s independence and vowed to continue seeking justice for atrocities around the world.

The State Department announced Tuesday that it had hit ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in US jurisdictions or come into contact with the US financial system.

The US had already imposed sanctions against several members of the court, including a number of judges.

The Trump administration has now slapped sanctions on nine of the ICC’s 18 judges, both of its deputy prosecutors, its former chief prosecutor and one other prosecution office staffer, the court said.

The US accuses the court of overstepping its mandate by investigating and seeking to prosecute senior military and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.

In a rare criticism of its US ‌ally, Japan on Wednesday described Washington's decision to impose sanctions on the ICC's Japanese president and a senior trial lawyer as "very unfortunate."

"Japan has consistently supported the ICC, which is a permanent international criminal court, in its efforts to prosecute and punish the most serious crimes of concern to the international community," Japan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Japan, which relies heavily on US ‌military power ⁠for its defense, rarely criticizes Washington.

In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was sanctioning ICC President Akane as well as senior trial lawyer Seye, accusing them of "directly" engaging "in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction."

Rubio, who called the ICC a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court," added that it had "maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate," saying it had "repeatedly attempted to assert authority over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction or ratified the Rome Statute."

Washington has repeatedly accused the ICC of "politicized actions" and of "targeting Israel." The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in November 2024 relating to the war in Gaza.

Responding to the US move, the court said in a statement: "When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk."

In July, the State Department announced plans to embark on a campaign to bring down the court and "systematically disable" its "ability to operate."

It said actions it could take included increased sanctions and visa revocations, as well as travel bans on ICC personnel.

The ICC denounced the new sanctions, saying that they “undermine the rule of law.”

“The Court remains undeterred and stands firmly behind its personnel and behind victims of unimaginable atrocities,” it said. “The Court will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality, in full accordance with the Rome Statute and in the interest of victims of international crimes.”

The US has asked other countries to join the pressure campaign and has threatened “increased scrutiny” against those that do not.

Rubio said on Tuesday that he expects “more countries to join our campaign by ending their funding and participation in this politicized and unaccountable court.”

“The ICC’s ability to target American nationals and those of other non-States Parties must end,” he said, referencing countries that are not members of the court. “The Trump Administration stands ready to take additional measures, if necessary, to systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty.”

A US official said last month that countries “that partner with US law enforcement, host a US military presence, or benefit from the broader US security umbrella are being called upon to reject the ICC’s purported authority to prosecute American officials and servicemen.”

“We will watch with interest which nations join ranks with us against this threat to Americans who are willing to risk their lives to protect others,” they noted.

At least five of the court's 125 member states have announced plans to withdraw in recent months amid escalated US pressure.

The US-backed interim government in Venezuela announced in late July it will pull out of the ICC. The foreign minister said that, under instruction from acting President Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela had informed the United Nations of its “firm and irrevocable decision” to withdraw from the court.

He argued in a post on X that the “Court’s actions reflect a demonstrated geographical bias” by focusing on African and Latin American countries.

The sanctions campaign has also put the US at odds with its European allies.

Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said on X that the Netherlands, which ⁠hosts ​the court, opposed the latest US sanctions and he invited Akane to "discuss ​our continued support."

Akane warned in December that US sanctions could “rapidly undermine the court’s operations in all situations and cases and jeopardize its very existence.”