US sanctions Japanese head of International Criminal Court
The United States has imposed sanctions on Tomoko Akane, the first Japanese national to head the International Criminal Court (ICC), in another escalation of the Trump administration's campaign against the Hague-based court, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports, citing Kyodo News.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the ICC of being a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court" that had exceeded its mandate. The United States also sanctioned Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer at the court from Senegal.
Akane, a former Japanese prosecutor, became ICC president in 2024 for a three-year term. Rubio said both officials had been involved in efforts to investigate, arrest or prosecute officials from countries that had not consented to the court's jurisdiction.
The ICC condemned the sanctions, saying they "undermine the rule of law." The court reaffirmed its commitment to independence and impartiality and said it remained firmly behind its staff and victims of atrocities.
The sanctions freeze any assets the targeted officials hold in the United States and restrict their access to the US financial system. Nine of the ICC's 18 judges, including Akane, have now been sanctioned by Washington.
The United States is not a member of the ICC, which was established in the Netherlands in 2002, and does not recognize its jurisdiction over US nationals. The court has 125 member states and prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the Netherlands "disapproves" of the sanctions and fully supports the ICC and its staff. He also invited Akane to discuss continued Dutch support for the court.
The Netherlands disapproves of the latest sanctions against officials and staff of the International Criminal Court. International courts and tribunals must be able to freely carry out their mandates. 1/2
— Tom Berendsen (@ministerBZ) August 18, 2026
In February 2025, Trump signed an executive order targeting the ICC over what he described as "illegitimate and baseless actions" against the United States and Israel, which is also not a member of the court.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Donald Trump paused 50% Canada tariffs after a trade deal.
