ICC condemns U.S. sanctions on court officials

The International Criminal Court condemned the United States on Wednesday for imposing sanctions on its president, Judge Tomoko Akane, and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, calling the move a "flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution." The sanctions, announced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday, freeze any assets the officials hold in U.S. jurisdictions and restrict their access to the American financial system.

The action escalates a long-running conflict between the Trump administration and the Hague-based tribunal. U.S. officials argue the court has exceeded its authority by investigating and prosecuting officials from countries that are not ICC members, including the United States and Israel. Rubio described the institution as a "corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court" and announced a broader campaign to pressure the court's 125 member states to withdraw.

The ICC stated that the new designations bring the total number of U.S.-sanctioned tribunal officials to nine of its 18 judges, both deputy prosecutors, a former prosecutor, and one staff member. The court warned that such measures directly hinder the global...