The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court president Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, according to reports from Reuters. The sanctions freeze any assets the individuals have in US jurisdictions or come into contact with the US financial system. Akane is a Japanese national who has served as the ICC's president since her election in March 2024, while Seye is from Senegal and 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. As per Reuters, the U.S. Treasury Department also issued a general license on Tuesday authorizing the wind-down of transactions involving Akane and Seye through September 17.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Trump Administration views the ICC as 'a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate.' In his latest statement, Rubio framed the sanctions as part of his campaign to 'dismantle' the international court, writing on social media that the 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.' According to Reuters, Rubio specifically cited that 'these individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.' The administration's position centers on allegations that the ICC is unfairly prosecuting US and Israeli soldiers for alleged crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza, with Rubio calling the court an 'intolerable threat' to national sovereignty. Rubio concluded by stating that 'The Trump Administration stands ready to take additional measures, if necessary, to systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty.'
The sanctions are closely tied to the ICC's investigation into alleged crimes in Gaza, where the court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel rejects these allegations. Seye was part of the prosecution team that sought the warrant against Netanyahu and has also been involved in investigations concerning Israeli settlements and alleged weapons transfers in the occupied West Bank, according to reporting by The Guardian. The ICC maintains that it can exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of a state that has accepted its jurisdiction, with Palestine being a member of the court forming part of the legal basis for its investigation into alleged crimes in Gaza.
The ICC responded quickly to the sanctions, stating that they 'undermine the rule of law.' In June, three ICC judges sued the Trump administration over the sanctions, calling them an 'arbitrary and capricious' means of curtailing the court's judicial independence. The court emphasized that 'when judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk.' This response follows the ICC's pattern of defending itself against previous Trump administration actions, demonstrating the court's continued resistance to US pressure. According to Reuters, ICC judge Akane warned in December that the U.S. sanctions would 'rapidly undermine the court's operations in all situations and cases, and jeopardize its very existence.'
The sanctions have created significant diplomatic tensions, with the U.S. effort putting it at odds with allies in Europe. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said on X that the Netherlands, which hosts the court, 'disapproved of the latest U.S. sanctions' and had invited Akane to 'discuss our continued support.' Berendsen wrote that 'international courts and tribunals must be able to freely carry out their mandates.' The U.S. has never been a member of the ICC, but the court asserts jurisdiction only if a member state is unable or unwilling to prosecute atrocities itself. However, the ICC statute also gives the court the power to prosecute atrocity crimes committed on the territory of member states by nationals of non-member states.
The sanctions are part of a broader Trump administration strategy against the ICC, with the administration arguing that the court has exceeded its mandate by investigating or trying soldiers, commanders and political officials from countries such as Israel and the United States that are not members of the court. The court's mandate is to investigate grievous international crimes, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Trump authorized sanctions against ICC officials in February 2025 after the court pursued the Netanyahu and Gallant warrants, with several judges and prosecutors since being targeted. The Trump administration has protested investigations into both US and Israeli actions, with Rubio hinting at more punitive measures to come. Advocacy groups have filed two separate lawsuits arguing that the U.S. campaign infringes on the constitutional rights of organizations working with the court to seek justice for atrocities around the world.
