Trump punishes the ICC president to appease Netanyahu

The United States has imposed sanctions on International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and prosecutor Abdullah Seye, escalating Washington’s pressure on the court over investigations and legal proceedings linked to Israel.

The measures freeze any assets Akane and Seye may hold under U.S. jurisdiction and restrict their access to the American financial system. They are part of a broader campaign targeting ICC judges and officials following the court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over the war in Gaza.

This latest move reaches the very top of the court’s judicial structure. Akane has served as ICC president since 2024, while Seye works within the Office of the Prosecutor and has been involved in investigations related to Palestine.

What began as political opposition to the court’s decisions has now evolved into direct financial sanctions against its senior officials, while cases involving Israel and its leadership remain open before the international justice system.