ICC Calls US Sanctions a ‘Flagrant Attack’ on Court Independence
Golden Page News Desk | August 21, 2026
The International Criminal Court has condemned new US sanctions against its president, Tomoko Akane, and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, describing the measures as a serious threat to the court’s independence and the wider international legal order.
Washington announced the sanctions on August 18 as part of the Trump administration’s escalating campaign against the Hague-based court. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Akane, a Japanese judge, and Seye, a Senegalese national, had been directly involved in ICC efforts to investigate or prosecute officials from governments that had not consented to the court’s jurisdiction.
The ICC responded by strongly rejecting the designations, warning that sanctions against judicial officials for carrying out their duties put the rule of law at risk. The court characterized the measures as a “flagrant attack” on its independence and said it would continue carrying out its mandate impartially.
Washington steps up pressure on the ICC
The latest sanctions represent another escalation in the US campaign against the ICC, an institution established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The United States is not a member of the ICC and has long disputed the court’s authority to investigate American nationals. The Trump administration has also sharply objected to the court’s investigations involving Israel, including the arrest warrants issued in 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
Under the sanctions, US-held assets belonging to Akane and Seye can be blocked, while the two officials are effectively cut off from the American financial system. A US Treasury general licence allows transactions involving the sanctioned individuals to be wound down through September 17.
The measures add to sanctions previously imposed against ICC officials and judges, widening the pressure Washington is applying to the court.
ICC warns of threat to international justice
The ICC has argued that attempts to pressure judges, prosecutors and other judicial personnel risk undermining the ability of international courts to operate independently.
The court’s position is that judicial officials must be able to apply international law without fear of political or financial retaliation. It has pledged to continue its work despite the US measures.
The dispute also highlights a long-running disagreement over ICC jurisdiction. While Washington maintains that the court cannot exercise authority over citizens of non-member states in many circumstances, the Rome Statute permits the ICC to investigate certain alleged crimes committed on the territory of member states, including when suspects are nationals of countries that have not joined the court.
Europe rallies behind Akane
The US action has drawn strong criticism from European governments and institutions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa said they stood firmly with Akane and ICC officials defending the court’s mission. They stressed that judges and court officials must be able to carry out their work independently and without external pressure.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas also condemned the sanctions, saying measures targeting the court and its personnel risk undermining its ability to fulfil its responsibilities under international law.
The Netherlands, which hosts the ICC in The Hague, has likewise expressed its opposition to the latest US measures. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen invited Akane to discuss continued Dutch support for the institution.
Ireland, Denmark and other European governments have also reiterated their backing for the court’s independence.
A widening confrontation
The confrontation between Washington and the ICC now threatens to become a broader test of international judicial independence.
For the United States, the sanctions are part of an effort to prevent what the administration describes as an overreach by a court it regards as politically motivated and hostile to American and Israeli interests.
For the ICC and its European supporters, however, the issue is bigger than individual cases. They argue that allowing governments to financially punish judges and prosecutors for applying international law could weaken the principle of independent international justice.
As pressure mounts, the dispute is likely to remain a major fault line between Washington and many of its European allies — while placing renewed attention on the future authority and independence of the world’s permanent international criminal court.
