Washington slapped sanctions on Tuesday against the head of the International Criminal Court (ICC), as the Trump administration steps up attempts to “dismantle” the organization. In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was sanctioning ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, accusing them of “directly” participating “in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.”
Rubio, who called the ICC a “corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court,” added that it had “maliciously violated its authority and breached its mandate,” saying it had “constantly attempted to assert power over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction or ratified the Rome Statute.”
Washington has often accused the ICC of “politically motivated actions” and “targeting Israel.” In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in connection with the Gaza War.The ICC responded to the US move in a statement, allegedly saying the additional sanctions “undermine the rule of law.
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