US Blacklists ICC President Tomoko Akane and Senior Lawyer in Widening Trump Campaign Against The Hague

The United States has imposed targeted financial sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, in the latest move by the Trump administration against the Hague-based war crimes tribunal. The measures, announced in Washington on Tuesday, extend existing restrictions on ICC officials.

The executive penalties, confirmed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, mark a further step in the administration's campaign to dismantle the court.

The White House has expanded its measures against the international court, following previous rounds of sanctions against more than a dozen judges and prosecutors that prompted an unprecedented lawsuit from within the tribunal itself.

Financial Sanctions Target ICC President Tomoko Akane

Under the formal measures announced by the State Department, any assets held in the United States by Akane, a Japanese judge who has served as the court's president since March 2024, will be frozen.

The identical economic restrictions apply to Seye, a Senegalese jurist serving as a senior trial lawyer at the institution. All American-based commercial entities and individuals will be prohibited from conducting financial transactions with both officials starting on 17 September.

These designations often have broad financial implications, as international banks routinely sever ties with blacklisted figures to avoid secondary American penalties.

Washington has concurrently enacted financial restrictions against non-governmental organisations and prominent United Nations officials, including special rapporteur Francesca Albanese, citing their operational cooperation with the tribunal.

Rubio defended the steps on social media, framing the decision as an essential defence of national sovereignty against what he termed a sham court. The declaration followed his earlier pledge in July, when he labelled the tribunal an intolerable threat.

In his public statement, Rubio invoked the American Declaration of Independence, asserting that citizens of the United States would never be transported across the seas to be tried for pretend offences.

Sovereignty Dispute Shapes Trump Campaign Against The Hague

Established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, the court currently relies on the accession of 125 member states. Neither the United States nor Israel has ratified the founding treaty.

The administration in Washington contends that the institution oversteps its legal remit by opening investigations into sovereign nations that remain outside its formal membership.

The dispute between Washington and The Hague deepened after prosecutors launched an inquiry in 2020 into alleged war crimes committed during the multi-decade conflict in Afghanistan.

Tensions increased further in 2024, when the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged conduct during military operations in Gaza.

While some legal scholars argue that the court holds jurisdiction over unlawful acts committed within member territories, the diplomatic fallout has grown severe.

Following earlier warnings from American officials, several governments have taken steps to withdraw from the governing Rome Statute; Chad announced its intention to leave, whilst Venezuela formally notified the United Nations of its withdrawal.

In response, the court initiated legal action against the executive branch. In June, three sitting judges filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, describing the economic sanctions as an arbitrary and capricious attempt to curtail judicial independence.

A formal statement from the tribunal warned that when judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, the stability of the international legal order is placed at risk.

Rubio reaffirmed his position in his latest public remarks, suggesting that additional measures could follow.

In a formal statement, he reaffirmed the administration's determination to confront the organisation, branding the institution a 'corrupt and fatally politicised' body that had 'maliciously exceeded its mandate'.