US vs ICC row escalates: Trump admin sanctions int'l court president, senior lawyer
The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court and a senior trial lawyer involved in the case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The ICC has condemned the move, warning that it threatens the international legal order.
Why it matters
The sanctions represent a significant escalation in the conflict between the US and the ICC, highlighting deep divisions over international jurisdiction and the accountability of government officials.
The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court president Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, in the latest escalation of the Trump administration’s campaign against the Hague-based court.US secretary of state Marco Rubio said the sanctions were imposed under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump last year. Akane, a Japanese judge, heads the ICC, while Seye, a Senegalese national, is a senior trial lawyer on the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He has also been nominated for election as an ICC judge.“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,” Rubio said, as quoted by Reuters.The ICC condemned the sanctions, saying they threatened the international legal order.
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