Law & Justice
ICC head warns of rule of law demise after US sanctions
International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane warned against “the demise of international rule of law” after the United States imposed sanctions on her.
“The sanction against me this time was something I had anticipated to an extent, so I'm not surprised,” Akane said in a statement released on X by her publisher Bungei Shunju. “The important thing is not to let this be the beginning of the demise of international rule of law.”
Washington sanctioned Akane, who is from Japan, and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal on Tuesday as part of the Trump administration's campaign against what it calls a “corrupt and fatally politicised” court.
The measures bar Akane and Seye from entering the United States and from carrying out transactions in the US financial system.
The ICC called the US measures a “flagrant attack” on the court's independence. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk and top European Union officials also backed Akane and the court.
Japan objected to the sanctions on Akane. Its foreign ministry said Japan had “consistently supported the ICC” in efforts to prosecute and punish the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and uphold the rule of law. Japan is the biggest funder of the ICC and a close US ally.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, without giving examples, that the sanctioned individuals had directly engaged in ICC efforts to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials whose governments had not accepted the court's jurisdiction.
The latest US move follows sanctions on several ICC officials, seen as largely in response to the court's investigations involving Israel, a US ally. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the US move and called the ICC “a kangaroo court”.
The United States signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC but never ratified it. Israel, Russia and China are also not ICC members.
The ICC was established in 2002 to prosecute individuals accused of the gravest atrocities and to act as a last resort when national legal systems cannot ensure accountability. In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, prompting Moscow to issue its own arrest warrants for senior court officials, including Akane.
Update
Japan objected to the US sanctions on Tomoko Akane.
Japan's foreign ministry said it consistently supported the ICC's work to prosecute the most serious crimes and uphold the rule of law.
Japan is the biggest funder of the ICC and a close US ally.
The source added background on the ICC's 2023 arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Russia's warrants for senior court officials, including Akane.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 August 2026 at 09:33:00 UTC.
Update
Tomoko Akane said she had anticipated the sanction against her to an extent and was not surprised.
Akane said the important thing was not to let the sanction become the beginning of the demise of international rule of law.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 August 2026 at 08:53:29 UTC.
Update
The ICC head warned against the “demise of international rule of law” after the US sanctions.
Source note: AFP news report published on 21 August 2026 at 08:43:12 UTC.
Update
France condemned threats and coercive measures against the International Criminal Court.
The item adds that Washington previously urged partners to withdraw from the ICC and says Chad and Venezuela had already announced withdrawals.
The item adds that Moscow issued arrest warrants for senior ICC officials after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 19:21:11 UTC.
Update
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the US sanctions in an X post on Tuesday.
Four human rights groups sued President Donald Trump in a New York court last week over sanctions targeting the ICC.
Spain described the ICC as the cornerstone of the international criminal justice system.
The ICC said withdrawals from the court risked undermining the collective pursuit of justice.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 16:47:10 UTC.
Update
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged states to protect court officials targeted by what he called reprisals.
Turk renewed his call for states to defend institutions created to uphold human rights and the rule of law.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 16:23:11 UTC.
Update
The UN rights chief called fresh US sanctions on the International Criminal Court unacceptable.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 15:54:35 UTC.
Update
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Antonio Costa said the ICC must act independently and without external pressure.
The item reports Japan is the ICC's biggest funder and called the US measures very unfortunate.
It adds that four human rights groups sued President Donald Trump in New York over sanctions targeting the ICC.
It adds context on US diplomatic pressure on ICC partners and reported withdrawals by Chad and Venezuela.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 12:41:25 UTC.
Update
Top European Union officials said they stood firmly with the ICC chief after US sanctions.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 11:15:00 UTC.
Update
The ICC called the sanctions a "flagrant attack" on the independence of an impartial judicial institution.
The sanctions also targeted ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal.
The Netherlands said it disapproved of the latest sanctions against ICC officials and staff.
Human Rights Watch criticised the new sanctions, and four rights groups sued Donald Trump last week over ICC-related sanctions.
The source gives context on previous US pressure on the ICC and on Chad and Venezuela announcing withdrawals from the court.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 10:02:13 UTC.
Update
Germany said it stood with ICC president Tomoko Akane after the United States imposed sanctions on her.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 09:48:37 UTC.
Update
The ICC called the US sanctions a “flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.”
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 08:47:29 UTC.
Update
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the US sanctions and called the ICC a “kangaroo court”.
Four rights groups sued US President Donald Trump in New York last week over sanctions targeting the ICC.
Human Rights Watch’s Balkees Jarrah said the new sanctions were an attempt to shield American and Israeli officials implicated in serious crimes from justice.
Washington last month urged partners to withdraw from the ICC; Chad and Venezuela had already announced withdrawals.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 07:48:55 UTC.
Update
Japan called US sanctions on the ICC chief “very unfortunate”.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 06:35:42 UTC.
Update
Japan's government did not immediately respond on Wednesday to requests for comment on the sanctions.
Japan is described as the ICC's biggest funder and a close US ally.
Japanese chief government spokesman Minoru Kihara said on July 14 that Japan was watching US announcements about the ICC with concern and supported the court.
The United States signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC but never ratified it; China is also not an ICC member.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 03:39:22 UTC.
Update
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the US sanctions in an X post and called the ICC a "kangaroo court."
Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said the Netherlands disapproves of the latest sanctions against ICC officials and staff.
Human Rights Watch's Balkees Jarrah condemned the new sanctions as an attempt to shield American and Israeli officials from justice.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 over the war in Ukraine, prompting Moscow to issue arrest warrants for senior court officials.
Source note: AFP news report published on 19 August 2026 at 00:57:36 UTC.
Update
The International Criminal Court said the US sanctions undermine the rule of law.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 18:46:45 UTC.
Update
The sanctions bar the two ICC officials from entering the United States and from transactions in the US financial system.
The United States is not a party to the treaty that established the ICC and has already sanctioned several court officials.
The sanctions are described as largely linked to ICC investigations involving Israel, including a 2024 arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gaza war.
Washington launched a diplomatic offensive last month urging partners to withdraw from the ICC.
Four human rights groups sued President Donald Trump in New York over US sanctions targeting the ICC.
Source note: AFP news report published on 18 August 2026 at 18:04:59 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
Rubio did not provide examples for his claim about the sanctioned individuals' conduct.
Source
AFP news report published on .