US announces new sanctions on ICC president and top lawyer

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions against the president and a senior lawyer of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The move is the Trump administration's latest escalation in its campaign to "dismantle" the court which is empowered by more than 120 member countries to investigate war crimes. Rubio said the US was sanctioning ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal for engaging in the ICC's efforts to "prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction". The ICC called the sanctions a "flagrant attack against an independent and impartial judicial institution" that "undermine the rule of law". The court added that it remains "undeterred and stands firmly behind its personnel". Rubio accused the court of being "a corrupt and fatally politicised supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate. We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty." Neither President Trump nor the White House has so far commented. The Trump administration has already announced sanctions on at least 11 ICC officials, including nine judges and the chief prosecutor. T

Aug 18, 2026 → Aug 19, 2026