US imposes sanctions on ICC leadership as President Tomoko Akane warns of threat to global legal order

US measures against court leadership

The United States administration announced sanctions on 18 August 2026 targeting International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and Deputy Prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye. The punitive actions impose entry bans restricting both judicial officials from traveling to the United States and freeze any assets, financial holdings, or real estate transactions under US jurisdiction. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the executive actions in an official statement, asserting that Akane and Seye participated directly in court efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials from governments that have not accepted ICC jurisdiction. Rubio stated that the court maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate, describing the institution as corrupt and fatally politicized. Washington focused its opposition on proceedings concerning Israel, an ally that is not a party to the Rome Statute.

Response from ICC leadership

The International Criminal Court, established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, characterized the US executive measures as a blatant attack on the tribunal's independence. Judge Tomoko Akane, a Japanese jurist elected to lead the court, released a statement on 21 August 2026 through her publisher Bungei Shunju on the social media platform X. Akane noted that she had anticipated the punitive measures and was not surprised by the announcement, while warning against broader erosion of multilateral accountability.

The important thing is that this must not mark the beginning of the disappearance of the international legal order.

International condemnation from allies and the UN

The sanctions prompted pushback from international bodies and European leaders. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, joined the UN human rights office in declaring the restrictions unacceptable and demanding that Washington rescind them immediately. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa issued coordinated statements expressing firm support for Akane, emphasizing that court officials must exercise their functions with complete independence and free from external coercion. The French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs condemned all threats and coercive measures directed against the court, its judicial staff, and affiliated civil society organizations.

Diplomatic friction in Tokyo and Dakar

The decision created diplomatic tension with key United States partners. Japan, the largest financial contributor to the ICC, voiced regret through its foreign ministry while reaffirming its long-standing commitment to the court's mission to prosecute the most serious crimes and defend the rule of law. On 20 August 2026, the Senegalese government expressed deep concern over the targeting of Seye, who serves as deputy prosecutor and is Senegal's official candidate for election as an ICC judge. Dakar described the court as an essential pillar against impunity and warned that restricting magistrate functions compromises the integrity of international justice. The dispute builds on earlier friction from February 2025, when President Donald Trump imposed visa and financial curbs on personnel aiding investigations, and August 2025, when Senegal formally demanded the withdrawal of US sanctions against four international magistrates, including Senegalese jurist Mame Mandiaye Niang.