US sanctions 2 top ICC officials in widening clash over court
What's new: The penalties freeze any US assets and cut the officials off from the US financial system, with a wind-down period through Sept. 17.
The Trump administration imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye on Aug. 18, escalating Washington's effort to weaken the Hague-based court. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two were targeted under a 2025 executive order aimed at ICC actions against officials from governments that have not accepted the court's jurisdiction. The ICC condemned the move, warning that penalties against judges, prosecutors and staff threaten the rule of law. Seye worked on the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The latest step follows earlier US sanctions on ICC judges and prosecutors tied to the court's Israel and Afghanistan cases.