Rubio Announces Sanctions Against International Criminal Court President & Top Lawyer
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday new sanctions against International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye as tensions flare between the court and the Trump administration.
The ICC, he added, has attempted to “assert authority over” over U.S. citizens and nationals of other nations that have not consented to the Rome Statute that set up the court.
The United States is not a party to the ICC.
As Jack Phillips reports for The Epoch Times, the sanctions against Akane and Seye were issued under a Trump executive order last year authorizing sanctions against the court, according to Rubio.
In July, Rubio said that the Trump administration would seek to dismantle the ICC by using visa revocations, sanctions, the targeting of individuals, and diplomatic pressure on countries to withdraw from the body.
The court, which was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute, has been adopted by more than 120 countries. Countries that do not recognize the court’s authority include the United States, China, Russia, Israel, India, Saudi Arabia, and more.
However, the ICC has argued that the Rome Statute gives the court power to prosecute war crimes committed on the territory of member states by nationals of non-member states.
The Trump administration imposed targeted sanctions last year on several ICC officials such as prosecutors and judges, citing the ICC’s 2024 decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over what the court alleged were improper actions carried out by the Israeli government during its war in Gaza.
Earlier this year, three sitting ICC judges sued Trump and his administration over the sanctions, arguing that they were unlawful.
And earlier this month, multiple human rights groups sued the administration over the sanctions, describing the actions and Trump administration order as unconstitutional.
“The plaintiffs are seeking an end to this sanctions regime, which transgresses the president’s authority and violates international and U.S. law, including the rights to freedom of expression and religion,” said lead counsel Andrew Loewenstein in a statement carried by Human Rights Watch, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The ICC did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request for comment.
Tyler Durden Tue, 08/18/2026 - 18:50
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Tuesday new sanctions against International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye as tensions flare between the court and the Trump administration.
The ICC, he added, has attempted to “assert authority over” over U.S. citizens and nationals of other nations that have not consented to the Rome Statute that set up the court.
The United States is not a party to the ICC.
As Jack Phillips reports for The Epoch Times, the sanctions against Akane and Seye were issued under a Trump executive order last year authorizing sanctions against the court, according to Rubio.
In July, Rubio said that the Trump administration would seek to dismantle the ICC by using visa revocations, sanctions, the targeting of individuals, and diplomatic pressure on countries to withdraw from the body.
The court, which was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute, has been adopted by more than 120 countries. Countries that do not recognize the court’s authority include the United States, China, Russia, Israel, India, Saudi Arabia, and more.
However, the ICC has argued that the Rome Statute gives the court power to prosecute war crimes committed on the territory of member states by nationals of non-member states.
The Trump administration imposed targeted sanctions last year on several ICC officials such as prosecutors and judges, citing the ICC’s 2024 decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over what the court alleged were improper actions carried out by the Israeli government during its war in Gaza.
Earlier this year, three sitting ICC judges sued Trump and his administration over the sanctions, arguing that they were unlawful.
And earlier this month, multiple human rights groups sued the administration over the sanctions, describing the actions and Trump administration order as unconstitutional.
“The plaintiffs are seeking an end to this sanctions regime, which transgresses the president’s authority and violates international and U.S. law, including the rights to freedom of expression and religion,” said lead counsel Andrew Loewenstein in a statement carried by Human Rights Watch, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
The ICC did not immediately respond to an Epoch Times request for comment.
Tyler Durden Tue, 08/18/2026 - 18:50
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
