The International Criminal Court (ICC) condemned recent US sanctions targeting its senior staff, including President Tomoko Akane, as a “flagrant attack” on its independence. The US State Department announced sanctions that freeze the assets of Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, limiting their access to financial services.
The Trump administration has sanctioned nine ICC judges, two deputy prosecutors, and the former chief prosecutor, accusing the court of overstepping its authority by prosecuting officials from non-member countries like Israel and the US. The ICC stated that threats against judicial actors jeopardise the international legal order and affirmed its commitment to operate independently.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio criticised the ICC as a “corrupt and fatally politicised” institution, announcing efforts to urge its 125 member states to withdraw and sanction those cooperating with it. Following this, Venezuela and Chad have announced plans to leave the court, increasing the total number of countries exiting to five. The sanctions pose significant challenges for ICC officials, restricting their travel to the US and limiting their access to financial services.
Canadian judge Kimberly Prost, who was sanctioned last year, lost access to her credit cards and reported that her Amazon Alexa stopped responding. “Your whole world is restricted,” she told The Associated Press.
Japan criticised the sanctions after Akane was also sanctioned, with Toshihiro Kitamura from Japan’s Foreign Ministry stating that the measures are “very unfortunate.” He reaffirmed Japan’s support for the ICC in its pursuit of justice.
Balkees Jarrah from Human Rights Watch labelled the sanctions as a reflection of the Trump administration’s disregard for international law and an attempt to protect American and Israeli officials from accountability. Recently, Human Rights Watch and three other organisations filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the sanctions and executive order targeting the ICC and related individuals are an illegal attack on international justice.
This article used information from The Associated Press.
