Tokyo objects to US sanctions on Japanese ICC president

The Trump administration sanctioned Akane and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, as part of a campaign against what it labels a "corrupt and fatally politicised" body. Japan, the largest funder of the ICC and a close US ally, stated its consistent support for the court's efforts to prosecute serious international crimes and uphold the rule of law. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctioned individuals engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate officials whose governments have not consented to ICC jurisdiction.

The ICC responded that the US sanctions "undermine the rule of law" and place the international legal order at risk. These sanctions are largely seen as a response to ICC investigations targeting Israel, a US ally, following the court's 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza. Netanyahu applauded the US sanctions, calling the ICC a "kangaroo court."

The Netherlands, where the ICC is based, also disapproved of the sanctions, emphasizing that international courts must be able to carry out their mandates freely. The US, which signed but never ratified the Rome Statute establishing the ICC, has previously launched a diplomatic offensive against the court, accusing it of threatening Americans. Human right