US government designates ICC Director Tomoko Akane as subject to sanctions

[Washington, Brussels Current Affairs] The U.S. government announced on the 18th that it has designated Tomoko Akane, director of the International Criminal Court (ICC, headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands), as a target for sanctions. The Trump administration has stepped up pressure on the ICC, protesting its decision to investigate war crimes by US soldiers and issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The sanctions freeze assets in the United States and prohibit travel to the United States. A senior ICC barrister (Senegalese) was also sanctioned.

"We will not tolerate attacks on our national sovereignty," Secretary of State Rubio said in a statement. The reason for the sanctions was ``to further advance diplomatic efforts to address abuses of power by the ICC,'' and pointed out that ``(Mr. Akane and others) have been directly involved in efforts to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials of governments over which they do not recognize jurisdiction.'' The United States is not a member of the ICC.

He also warned that he was prepared to dismantle the ICC if necessary. Rubio announced last month that he would urge member states to withdraw from the EU.

The ICC issued a statement on the 18th, saying, ``When judicial officials are threatened for enforcing the law, the international legal order itself is at risk.'' "As we have said in the past, we will remain unflinchingly in our support for our staff and the victims of this unimaginable atrocity."