Overview
- The United States announced the designations on Tuesday, Aug. 18, freezing any assets the two officials hold in U.S. jurisdictions and barring most transactions through the U.S. financial system.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the sanctions target officials who ‘directly engaged’ in efforts to prosecute people from countries that have not consented to ICC jurisdiction and accused the court of being politicized.
- The Treasury issued a limited general licence authorizing wind-down transactions linked to Akane and Seye through Sept. 17 to allow orderly steps while the restrictions take effect.
- The International Criminal Court condemned the measures as an attack on judicial independence and was joined by Japan, European leaders and rights groups in criticizing the U.S. action.
- The designations deepen a campaign that began in 2025 and already hit multiple judges and prosecutors, prompting U.S. lawsuits and raising practical risks to the court’s operations, funding and victims’ access to justice.