U.S. sanctions ICC president Tomoko Akane
U.S. Treasury says sanctions target Tomoko Akane; Washington frames move as escalation in long-running dispute with the ICC.
The United States has imposed sanctions on the Japanese judge and president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced on its website.
New escalation in Washington's dispute with the ICC
The move represents the latest escalation in the campaign by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump against the ICC, which is based in The Hague and was established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
Although the United States is not a member of the ICC, Washington last year implemented sanctions on several court officials, including prosecutors and judges, citing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as a previous investigation into U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
The Treasury announcement did not include further operational details in the brief notice posted online, but the decision is likely to add friction to relations between U.S. authorities and the court in The Hague.
Legal experts and diplomats will be watching for reactions from other governments and from the ICC's leadership as the international community assesses the implications of sanctioning the court's sitting president.
Photo: Laurie Dieffembacq / European Union / Wikimedia Commons (Attribution)
