The International Criminal Court condemned the Trump administration’s sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Sey as a public attack on the court’s independence. In a statement issued Wednesday, the court said the measures directly target an impartial judicial institution and undermine the rule of law by targeting judges, prosecutors and staff. Akane, a Japanese judge, has served as ICC president since her election in March 2024, while Sey is a Senegalese national and senior court lawyer.

Washington described the ICC as corrupt and severely politicized. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctioned individuals were directly involved in ICC efforts to investigate, arrest, detain or try officials of countries that have not accepted the court’s jurisdiction, without giving specific examples. The latest measures follow earlier US sanctions against ICC officials connected to the court’s investigation and actions involving Israel.

Japan and the European Union opposed the sanctions. Tokyo said it supports the ICC’s work to ensure accountability for the most serious crimes and uphold the rule of law. EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa said ICC officials must be able to work independently without external pressure. The sanctions bar the designated individuals from entering the United States and using its financial system.