Washington imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, freezing any U.S.-based assets and cutting them off from the U.S. financial system. The move escalates the Trump administration’s campaign against the Hague court and raises questions about the ICC’s operational capacity.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the sanctions on Aug 18 2026, invoking a 2025 Trump executive order that authorizes measures against ICC officials. He cited Akane’s and Seye’s involvement in investigations targeting Israeli officials, including a warrant request for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Treasury issued a general licence permitting a wind‑down of transactions through Sept 17.
The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets the two individuals hold and effectively bar them from banks tied to the U.S. system, potentially hampering the ICC’s ability to fund investigations and enforce arrest warrants. The court warned the measures could jeopardize its existence and undermine the international rule of law.
One source describes the executive order as issued “last year,” while another specifies 2025, and the stated rationale varies between protecting Americans and defending Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Both accounts agree the sanctions target ICC officials for investigations deemed unauthorized by the United States.