Rubio sanctions ICC leaders to stop court from trying ‘pretend offenses’
On Tuesday, U.S.Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions against the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, from Japan, and senior trial lawyer abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. This move comes as the Trump governance seeks to isolate the ICC, arguing that the court undermines U.S. sovereignty. The sanctions are part of broader efforts initiated earlier in 2025 following tensions over an ICC arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding alleged war crimes. Rubio emphasized that the U.S. will take measures to prevent the ICC from threatening American sovereignty, asserting that the U.S. would never be tried abroad for “pretend offenses.” The U.S. has historically had a complex relationship with the ICC, which prosecutes individuals accused of genocide and war crimes, but the U.S. has never joined the court and has criticized its jurisdiction.Past administrations have had varying stances, with the Bush administration opposing the court, Obama accepting some cooperation, and Trump reversing some relations due to investigations into U.S. military actions. The Biden administration has as lifted previous sanctions and expressed support for certain ICC actions, such as the arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over wartime allegations in Ukraine.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday announced sanctions against the president of the International Criminal Court and a senior trial lawyer as the Trump administration seeks to isolate the international tribunal over what it says are efforts to undermine U.S. sovereignty.
The latest targets are ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal.
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“The Trump Administration stands ready to take additional measures, if necessary, to systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty,” the State Department said in a news release.
“In honor of our Declaration of Independence, Americans will never be transported beyond seas to be tried for pretend offenses,” Rubio added in a social media statement.
The Trump administration began imposing sanctions on the ICC and its officials in February 2025. Tensions between the United States and the court escalated after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In July, Rubio announced a broader administration effort to isolate the ICC, accusing the court of attempting to undermine U.S. sovereignty.
“They believe that they should be in charge of your laws, of your country, your life, and they don’t care whether or not you agree,” Rubio said in a video address.
The ICC prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The U.S. has never joined the court and has argued that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over Americans without U.S. consent. Other major powers, including China and Russia, also remain outside the court.
Washington’s relationship with the ICC has shifted across administrations.
The George W. Bush administration opposed the court but allowed the U.N. Security Council to refer atrocities in Darfur to the ICC in 2005. The Obama administration was more open to the court, helping transfer suspects to The Hague and offering rewards for information leading to arrests.
During Trump’s first term, relations deteriorated after the court investigated alleged war crimes committed by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and alleged Israeli crimes in the Palestinian territories, prompting the administration to end cooperation with the court and impose sanctions on ICC officials.
The Biden administration lifted those sanctions in 2021 and welcomed the ICC’s arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over war crimes in Ukraine but opposed the court’s investigation into Israel.
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