US sanctions International Criminal Court chief Tomoko Akane of Japan

WASHINGTON: The United States on Tuesday (Aug 18) imposed sanctions against International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane of Japan as part of its campaign against the body that it accuses of being "politicised."

Washington also slapped sanctions on ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal in the Trump administration's latest salvo against The Hague-based court.

"These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction," US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement.

Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities and acts as a last resort when countries do not have adequate legal systems to ensure accountability.

The US, which is not a party to the international treaty that established the ICC, has already imposed sanctions against several of the court's officials.

The measures bar them from entering the US and from transactions in the US financial system.

It is largely a response to ICC investigations targeting Israel, a US ally. In 2024, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.

Last month, Washington launched a major diplomatic offensive against the ICC, accusing it of "threatening" Americans and calling on partners to withdraw from the body - a move already announced by Chad and Venezuela, among others. 

"The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate. We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty," Rubio's statement said.

Last week, four human rights groups sued US President Donald Trump in a New York court over his sanctions targeting the ICC, saying the measures block victims of war crimes from pursuing justice.