Rubio Announces Bold New ICC Sanctions, As Another Country Plans Its Exit ...

[SVPete]

Rubio Announces Bold New ICC Sanctions, As Another Country Plans Its Exit Strategy

https://pjmedia.com/sarah-anderson/2026/08/18/rubio-announces-bold-new-icc-sanctions-plus-another-country-prepares-its-exit-strategy-n4956283

The hits against the International Criminal Court (ICC) keep on coming.

Last month, Marco Rubio "launched a diplomatic campaign to dismantle the ICC’s threat to our national sovereignty." On Tuesday, he announced that he's sanctioning the president of the ICC, Tomoko Akane of Japan, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal.

"These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction," Rubio added in an official statement from the State Department.

Here's more:

The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate.  We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.
[...]
The ICC has repeatedly attempted to assert authority over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction or ratified the Rome Statute.  This sets a dangerous precedent for all nations. 

Our whole of government campaign to dismantle the threat posed by the ICC to national sovereignty will be sweeping and we expect more countries to join our campaign by ending their funding and participation in this politicized and unaccountable court. The ICC’s ability to target American nationals and those of other non-States Parties must end. The Trump Administration stands ready to take additional measures, if necessary, to systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty.

The sanctions will prevent U.S. citizens from conducting transactions with Akane and Seye, and if they do, they'll face penalties. The sanctions also prevent both individuals from accessing U.S. financial systems.

Persons participating in ICC "investigations" on US soil, regardless of citizenship, need to be arrested and prosecuted for espionage. Foreign nationals should be held without bail, because they are a flight risk.