The United States announced sanctions Tuesday against International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and senior prosecutor Abdoulaye Sey, marking an escalation in the Trump administration's confrontation with the Hague-based tribunal.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the measures, stating that both individuals "were directly involved in the court's efforts to investigate, arrest or prosecute senior officials whose governments did not consent to the court's jurisdiction."
The sanctions will freeze any US-based assets held by Akane, a Japanese jurist, and Sey, and effectively sever their access to the American financial system.
The move follows previous US sanctions imposed last year on ICC judges and prosecutors, actions taken partly in response to arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Rubio indicated last month that the administration plans to intensify pressure on the court and pursue diplomatic efforts to persuade additional countries to withdraw from the institution. President Trump has stated that the campaign aims to protect Netanyahu and others from prosecution.
While the United States is not a member of the ICC, the court maintains it has jurisdiction to prosecute citizens of non-member states when alleged crimes occur within the territory of a member nation.
