US imposes sanctions on International Criminal Court president, Tomoko Akane of Japan
The U.S. sanctions were also imposed on Senegalese judge Abdoulaye Seye, who is currently serving as acting prosecutor of the ICC.
ICC President Tomoko Akane
Washington announced on Tuesday sanctions against the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Japan's Tomoko Akane, and another senior judge, as part of its campaign against this institution, which it accuses of being "politicized."
"These individuals have been directly involved in the ICC's attempts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose governments do not recognize the jurisdiction" of that court, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in a press release.
U.S. sanctions were also imposed on Senegalese judge Abdoulaye Seye, who is currently serving as acting prosecutor of the ICC.
The country did not sign the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court in 2000, and does not recognize the jurisdiction of that permanent court based in The Hague, which handles cases of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions—including a ban on travel to the United States and a freeze on assets in this country—on several ICC judges and prosecutors, primarily due to their investigations into Israel, one of its key allies.
In 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in connection with the war in Gaza, as well as for several members of Hamas, all of whom have been killed.
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