ICC Condemns US Sanctions on President and Senior Prosecutor as 'Flagrant Attack'
The ICC has condemned new US sanctions on its president and a senior prosecutor, calling the move a flagrant attack on its independence and vowing to continue its mandate.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has sharply criticized the latest round of United States sanctions, which target its president and a senior prosecution lawyer, calling the move a "flagrant attack" on the tribunal's independence. The court has vowed to continue its work seeking justice for atrocities worldwide.
The US State Department announced the sanctions on Tuesday, targeting ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. The measures freeze any assets they hold in US jurisdictions or that come into contact with the US financial system.
According to the court, the Trump administration has now sanctioned nine of its 18 judges, both deputy prosecutors, its former chief prosecutor, and another prosecution office staffer. Washington accuses the court of overstepping its mandate by investigating and seeking to prosecute senior military and political officials from non-member countries, including Israel and the United States.
In a statement, the court warned that when "judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk." It affirmed its commitment to "fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the action, branding the ICC "a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate." The move follows Rubio's earlier announcement of a "sweeping campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the International Criminal Court to U.S. sovereignty," which includes pressuring the court's 125 member states to withdraw, sanctioning organizations that work with it, and banning its staff from traveling to the US.
Since that campaign was announced, Venezuela and Chad have said they plan to leave the court, bringing the number of countries to announce withdrawal in the past year to five. A country's decision to quit takes a year to formalize.
The sanctions have a tangible impact on the daily lives of court officials. They prevent targeted individuals and their families from entering the US and block their access to basic financial services, making even routine activities like grocery shopping difficult. Canadian judge Kimberly Prost, sanctioned last year, described losing access to her credit cards and having her Amazon Alexa stop responding, saying, "Your whole world is restricted."
Japan also voiced criticism over the sanctions on its national, President Akane. Foreign Ministry press secretary Toshihiro Kitamura called the measures "very unfortunate," reaffirming Japan's consistent support for the ICC in prosecuting the most serious international crimes and upholding the rule of law.
Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa director, Balkees Jarrah, described the sanctions as "the latest example of the Trump administration's utter contempt for international law and a naked attempt to shield American and Israeli officials implicated in serious crimes from justice." Last week, Human Rights Watch and three other groups filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York challenging the administration's campaign against the ICC, arguing that the executive order and related sanctions represent a "blatantly illegal attack on international justice."