ICC condemns US sanctions as ‘flagrant attack’ on court’s independence

The ICC has expressed concern over the Trump administration’s campaign to encourage countries to withdraw from the court, asserting that such countries risked undermining the collective pursuit of justice.The International Criminal Court (ICC) has lashed out at the United States after the Trump administration added its chief and one of its senior lawyers to a list of sanctioned individuals, calling the move a “flagrant attack” on the court’s independence.The ICC’s reaction on Wednesday came in response to the US imposing sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, as part of its campaign against what it calls a “corrupt and fatally politicised body”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3What drove Venezuela’s decision to leave the ICC?list 2 of 3Netanyahu vows to go to New York City despite ICC arrest warrant, Mamdanilist 3 of 3ICC body urges Chad and Venezuela to reverse course on withdrawalend of listAkane, a Japanese judge, has served as the ICC’s president since her election in March 2024. Seye is a Senegalese lawyer at the court.“These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution,” The Hague-based court said in a statement.“Such measures targeting judges, prosecutors and staff … undermine the rule of law.”Washington’s latest move follows sanctions it imposed on several ICC officials, largely in response to the court’s investigations involving US ally Israel.Japan also objected to the sanctions, saying it has “consistently supported the ICC … in its efforts to prosecute and punish the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and to uphold the rule of law,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs press secretary Toshihiro Kitamura said in a statement.Japan is the ICC’s biggest funder and a close US ally.The European Union also threw its support behind Akane.In twin statements on social media, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and European Council head Antonio Costa said they “stand firmly” with Akane and top officials, who “must be able to act independently and without external pressure”.