The United States imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, freezing their US assets and cutting them off from the American financial system with a compliance deadline of September 17 [15]. The sanctions, announced on August 18, add to measures already imposed on at least 11 other ICC officials, including nine judges and the chief prosecutor [13].
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Akane and Seye had "directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction" [4][6]. Rubio described the ICC as "a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate" and stated the administration "will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty" [18][20]. Rubio also wrote that the administration stands ready to "systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty" [20], and characterized the court as "a radical organization staffed by unelected globalist officials waging war on the US" through regulations and treaties rather than bullets and missiles [12]. A White House official said President Trump had lawfully exercised his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act [4].
The ICC responded that "measures targeting judges, prosecutors and staff who work towards the fulfillment of the mandate that was conferred to the ICC by states undermine the rule of law" [4][7]. The court stated that "when judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk," and declared it remains undeterred and stands behind its personnel and "victims of unimaginable atrocities" [8][9][19].
Human Rights Watch Middle East and North Africa Director Balkees Jarrah described the sanctions as "just the latest example of the Trump administration's utter contempt for international law and a naked attempt to shield American and Israeli officials implicated in serious crimes from justice" [6][11]. Human Rights Watch International Justice Director Liz Evenson stated that "the Trump administration seeks a get-out-of-jail-free card for whomever it chooses" [4][24]. Amnesty International argued that the sanctions undermine justice not only for Palestinians but for all victims of the world's worst crimes, including in Afghanistan, Ukraine, and Sudan [28].
Four US-based rights groups — Human Rights Watch, Open Society Institute, American Friends Service Committee, and Center for Constitutional Rights — filed a lawsuit calling the sanctions "blatantly illegal" and stating the groups are being forced to curtail human rights and legal work in violation of First and Fifth Amendment rights and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act [20]. Three ICC judges — Kimberly Prost of Canada, Solomy Balungi Bossa of Uganda, and Reine Alapini-Gansou of Benin — separately sued the Trump administration in a New York federal court, arguing the measures were unlawful and designed to exert extrajudicial pressure to punish and coerce judges [4].
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the sanctions, calling the ICC "a kangaroo court that cloaks its abuse of power in the language of international law" [6][11]. The sanctions are linked to ICC arrest warrants issued in 2024 for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as the court's investigations into alleged US personnel crimes in Afghanistan [3][7][15].
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen stated that the Netherlands "disapproves of the latest sanctions against officials and staff of the International Criminal Court" and that "international courts and tribunals must be able to freely carry out their mandates" [14]. An EU Commission spokesperson rejected the US claim that the ICC threatens US sovereignty, stating that attacks or threats against court representatives are "einfach nicht akzeptabel" (simply not acceptable) [34]. French ICC judge Nicolas Guillou stated that the sanctions could become "une menace considérable pour l'Etat de droit dans le monde entier et en Europe" (a considerable threat to the rule of law worldwide and in Europe) [27]. Le Monde reported that the EU has struggled to mount a concrete response, with calls to activate the EU's blocking statute not heeded, as the global financial architecture's dependence on the US system leaves European institutions vulnerable [27].
Japan expressed concern over the sanctions targeting Akane, a Japanese national. Chief Japanese government spokesman Minoru Kihara stated that Japan is watching US announcements "with concern" and reaffirmed Japan's consistent support for the ICC [6]. A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official expressed displeasure, stating "ＩＣＣにとっていいことであるわけがない" (it cannot be good for the ICC), while stressing the importance of ensuring the sanctions do not negatively affect overall US-Japan relations [29].
Former ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda recounted that the former head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency pressured her in a series of meetings to drop her investigation into alleged war crimes in occupied Palestine, and that unidentified men came to her home and handed her an envelope containing $500 to show they knew where she lived [18][20]. Bensouda stated: "They came directly to my house. I got the message that they're sending" [18][20].
African-focused reporting argued that Washington's campaign against the ICC creates a political windfall for African governments with poor human rights records, who use US pressure as justification to exit the court's jurisdiction [22]. Chad and Venezuela have announced withdrawal from the ICC [16], and the US has pressured African member states including Uganda and Benin, threatening consequences and using disinformation to push withdrawals [30][33].
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned the ICC as "Это псевдосуд" (a pseudo-court) and a quasi-association, noting that most of the world's population lives outside its jurisdiction and that it has never seriously examined crimes committed by NATO countries [35]. Legal scholars at Just Security published a point-by-point rebuttal of Rubio's Wall Street Journal op-ed, correcting factual claims about ICC jurisdiction and highlighting contradictions in US policy toward the court [31]. Chinese state media outlets Xinhua and CGTN, and Turkish state news agency Anadolu Ajansı, reported the sanctions largely through the US administration's framing, with Anadolu Ajansı noting the non-membership of the US and Israel in the Rome Statute [25][26][5].
The sanctions take effect with a September 17 compliance deadline [15], while lawsuits challenging their legality proceed in US federal court [4][20]. The ICC has stated it will continue to carry out its mandate with independence and impartiality in accordance with the Rome Statute [10].