Japanese Judge Tomoko Akane, President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), delivers a speech during a press conference at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo on June 14, 2024. (Credit: Kazuhiro Nogi/AFP)
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday lashed out at the United States after Washington slapped sanctions on its president, calling it a "flagrant attack" on the court's independence.
On Tuesday, the U.S. imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane and a senior trial lawyer, as part of Washington's campaign against what it calls a "corrupt and fatally politicized" body.
"These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution," the court, based in The Hague, said in a statement.
"Such measures targeting judges, prosecutors and staff... undermine the rule of law," added the court.
Washington's sanctions are largely seen as a response to ICC investigations targeting U.S. ally Israel. In 2024, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over its war on Gaza.
The measures bar the officials targeted from entering the U.S. and from carrying out transactions in the U.S. financial system.
