US sanctions International Criminal Court president and trial lawyer

The administration of United States President Donald Trump has added the head of the International Criminal Court (ICC) as well as one of its senior lawyers to a list of sanctioned individuals.

On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the widening sanctions as part of his campaign to “dismantle” the international court.

“The Trump Administration is sanctioning ICC President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye in our unwavering mission to protect Americans from this sham of a court,” Rubio wrote on social media.

“In honor of our Declaration of Independence, Americans will never be transported beyond seas to be tried for pretend offenses.”

Akane, a Japanese judge, has served as the ICC’s president since her election in March 2024. Seye, who hails from Senegal, works as a senior trial lawyer at the court.

The sanctions freeze any assets they may have in the US and also limit US-based entities from conducting transactions with them, starting on September 17.

The US has sanctioned more than a dozen judges and prosecutors from the ICC, triggering a response from financial institutions that cuts them off from much of the international banking system.

It has also issued financial restrictions against human rights groups and figures like United Nations special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, citing their cooperation with the ICC.