Overview
- The United States placed ICC President Tomoko Akane and senior magistrate Abdoulaye Seye on the Treasury blacklist on Tuesday, August 18, freezing any U.S. assets and barring their entry to the country.
- U.S. officials framed the move as retaliation for ICC probes that produced 2024 arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, saying the court has exceeded its authority in cases touching U.S. allies.
- The ICC condemned the sanctions as a threat to the rule of law, the European Union and Japan registered regret, and human rights groups have launched U.S. lawsuits challenging Decree 14203.
- Treasury blacklisting often prompts banks and tech platforms to cut services to listed individuals, a dynamic that can block payments, accounts and travel and has already hindered ICC staff operations.
- The action escalates a Trump-era campaign that began in 2025 to pressure states to quit or defund the ICC, a campaign that could shrink the court's support and affect accountability for crimes in Palestine and other cases.