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US sanctions ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan
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On August 18, 2026, the United States imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane of Japan and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the sanctions target individuals who have directly engaged in ICC efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials from countries that have not consented to ICC jurisdiction. The ICC responded that the sanctions undermine the rule of law and threaten the international legal order. The move is largely seen as a response to the ICC's 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gaza war. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu applauded the sanctions, calling the ICC a 'kangaroo court.' The Netherlands expressed disapproval, stating international courts must be able to carry out their mandates freely. The U.S., which is not an ICC party, has previously sanctioned other ICC officials and recently launched a diplomatic offensive against the court.
Source report
Source: AFP
The United States on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) imposed sanctions against International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane of Japan and another senior official, escalating its campaign against the body it accuses of being "politicized."
Washington also sanctioned ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal in the latest salvo by the Trump administration against The Hague-based court.
"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," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, without providing examples.
ICC Response
The ICC responded on Tuesday (August 18), stating that the U.S. sanctions "undermine the rule of law."
"When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk," the court said in a statement.
Background
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities and acts as a last resort when countries lack adequate legal systems to ensure accountability.
The United States, which is not a party to the international treaty that established the ICC, has already imposed sanctions against several of the court's officials. The measures bar them from entering the United States and from carrying out transactions in the U.S. financial system.
The sanctions are largely a response to ICC investigations targeting Israel, a U.S. ally. In 2024, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.
Reactions
In an X post Tuesday evening (August 18), Mr. Netanyahu applauded the U.S. sanctions and called the ICC "a kangaroo court that cloaks its abuse of power in the language of international law."
The Netherlands, where the ICC is based in The Hague, "disapproves of the latest sanctions against officials and staff of the ICC," Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen wrote in an X post.
"International courts and tribunals must be able to freely carry out their mandates," he added.
Broader Context
Last month, Washington launched a major diplomatic offensive against the ICC, accusing it of "threatening" Americans and calling on partners to withdraw from the body — a move already announced by Chad and Venezuela, which have aligned with the United States since the capture and ouster of leader Nicolas Maduro.
Source
The Hindu: Latest News today from India and the World, Breaking news, Top Headlines and Trending News Videos.Western
Part of this Story
US sanctions ICC president and prosecutor over Israel war crimes probe