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”. Akane, a Japanese judge, has served as the ICC’s president since her election in March 2024. Japan is the ICC’s biggest funder and a close US ally.

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