The United States has sanctioned the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and a senior prosecutor linked to investigations into crimes alleged during Israel’s war in Gaza, the State Department said. The designations were announced by Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state. In a statement, he accused the ICC, based in The Hague, of being corrupt and driven by politics, saying it had misused its powers and gone beyond its mandate. Rubio Names ICC President and ProsecutorRubio said the US would sanction Tomoko Akane of Japan, the ICC president, and Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, an ICC senior trial lawyer. He said they had “directly engaged” in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain or prosecute officials from a country that has not consented to ICC jurisdiction. The State Department last month unveiled what it described as a campaign to counter the ICC’s impact on US sovereignty, arguing that the court posed a threat to the US and its officials. In that earlier statement, the department said the aim was to reduce the ICC’s ability to function, including by preventing it from targeting American servicemen or officials, or otherwise undermining US sovereignty. Call for Withdrawal and Response From TrumpRubio urged the 125 countries that are members of the ICC to withdraw from the court. Donald Trump, the US president, has said his administration is targeting the ICC because of what it views as the risk to Israel. The US has sanctioned ICC personnel before. It previously designated Karim Khan, an ICC prosecutor who had pursued arrest warrants for Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and for Yoav Gallant, Israel’s former defence minister, in relation to alleged war crimes during the Gaza war. In an executive order in 2025, Trump said the court had carried out actions he described as illegitimate and baseless, targeting the United States and its ally Israel. Rubio did not specify the precise steps taken by Akane and Seye, beyond saying they were involved in ICC efforts to investigate and pursue proceedings against officials. Reported Gaza-Linked ICC Work and Wider SanctionsIsraeli media have reported that Seye is also involved in overseeing an ICC investigation into claims relating to Israeli funding for illegal settlements and the provision of weapons to settlers in the West Bank. Separately, Israeli officials warned local media in May that the ICC could seek a further set of arrest warrants. They said the court may request warrants for five ministers and senior military officials tied to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The US has designated at least 11 ICC officials through sanctions linked to other cases as well, including investigations that also cover alleged actions by US soldiers in Afghanistan. Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the ICC, and both do not recognise its jurisdiction. Legal Challenge by Rights GroupsFour human rights organisations sued Trump last week, arguing that the administration’s move targets the ICC. The groups said the sanctions prevent victims of alleged war crimes from seeking justice. Join the discussion? 19 August 2026
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