US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions against ICC President Tomoko Akane of Japan and Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, the latest step in the Trump administration's campaign to "dismantle" the court. Washington accuses the pair of pursuing efforts to investigate, arrest or prosecute officials from countries that have not consented to ICC jurisdiction, with Rubio branding the court "corrupt and fatally politicised". The move deepens a rift between the US and the international justice system, which is backed by more than 120 member states.

The sanctions, which typically include asset freezes, travel bans and restrictions on US company services, follow an executive order Donald Trump issued last year and bring the number of sanctioned ICC officials to at least 13, including nine judges and the chief prosecutor. The action stems from ICC investigations into US conduct in Afghanistan and arrest warrants against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over alleged Gaza war crimes; neither the US nor Israel are ICC members. The sanctions have prompted legal pushback, with three ICC judges and four US human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, suing the administration, arguing the measures are unlawful and unconstitutional.