US Sanctions ICC President in Campaign to Dismantle Court

The United States government imposed sanctions on August 18, 2026, against International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. Executed under a February 2025 executive order by President Donald Trump, the measures include asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on the use of the U.S. financial system. Secretary of State Marco Rubio characterized the ICC as a "corrupt and fatally politicised supranational court" that has exceeded its mandate by targeting officials from non-member states.

The sanctions specifically target officials involved in investigations into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and the pursuit of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding alleged war crimes in Gaza. This action is part of a "whole-of-government campaign" to dismantle the ICC, which now sees at least 14 court officials sanctioned, including half of its 18 judges. The diplomatic pressure has already led Venezuela and Chad to announce their withdrawals from the court.

The ICC condemned the measures as a "flagrant attack" on judicial independence, warning that such actions place the international legal order at risk. While Benjamin Netanyahu praised the move, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations expressed strong opposition. The government of Japan, the ICC's largest financial contributor, described the sanctions against Akane as "very unfortunate" and "deeply regrettable," despite private efforts to dissuade Washington from targeting her. Human Rights Watch and other advocacy groups have filed a federal lawsuit in New York to challenge the sanctions regime.