US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, accusing the court of being a "fatally politicized supranational court." The move follows earlier US sanctions on ICC officials. According to Israeli media, Seye was overseeing investigations into weapons transfers to Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
The United States on Tuesday evening imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced. Rubio accused the ICC of being a "fatally politicized supranational court," according to a statement, providing official justification for the measures.
Initial reports of the sanctions on Akane emerged at 20:09 Jerusalem via Reuters and Israeli media, without immediate details on the scope. Within the same timeframe, The Zioneer first reported that the measures had been expanded to include Seye, a senior prosecutor who, according to Israeli media, was overseeing an investigation into the transfer of weapons to Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria.
The latest move builds on a series of US actions against the ICC. The Trump administration previously imposed sanctions on other court officials, and the court has been in turmoil following the dismissal of former Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan over misconduct allegations, as The Zioneer reported in June and July. The United States, which is not a party to the Rome Statute, has consistently rejected ICC jurisdiction over Israel.
It remains unclear whether additional ICC figures could face sanctions, and whether the legal challenges filed by ICC judges against earlier US sanctions will proceed.
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