US sanctions ICC president and senior trial lawyer

The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it has imposed sanctions on Tomoko Akane, the Japanese president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer from Senegal. The sanctions freeze any assets the individuals may hold within US jurisdictions and restrict their access to the American financial system. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the ICC as a "corrupt and fatally politicized" institution that has abused its authority, stating that the US will not tolerate its "assault on state sovereignty." Abdoulaye Seye is a senior lawyer on the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu welcomed the move, labeling the ICC a "kangaroo court" and praising the Trump administration's efforts to ensure that "corrupt officials" at the court face consequences. In response, the ICC stated that the sanctions "undermine the rule of law," warning that threatening judicial actors puts the international legal order at risk. Previously, three ICC judges filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that such measures are unlawful.