International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane of Japan has warned against "the demise of international rule of law" following her sanctioning by the US along with trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. The sanctions, imposed on August 18, bar Akane and Seye from entering the United States and carrying out transactions in the US financial system. This is not Akane's first experience with criticism or opposition, as she has previously spoken out against Russian attempts to target her and other ICC officials in 2023. Japan, which is the biggest funder of the ICC and a close US ally, has also expressed its objection to the sanctions on Akane.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced sanctions against two International Criminal Court (ICC) officials: Tomoko Akane, the ICC president from Japan, and Abdoulaye Seye, a senior trial lawyer from Senegal. The sanctions, which include freezing their US-held bank assets and cutting them off from the US financial system, were imposed due to allegations that they had "directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction." Rubio called the ICC a "corrupt and fatally politicized" institution that has "maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate." The move is part of a broader US campaign against the ICC, with Rubio urging 125 member countries of the ICC to withdraw from the body. The ICC president, Akane, responded by warning against "the demise of international rule of law," while the UN rights chief Volker Turk and top EU officials expressed support for her and the institution.
Written for “US vs International Criminal Court” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
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The important thing is not to let this be the beginning of the demise of international rule of law.
left assertion of importance of ICC's role
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Washington sanctioned Akane and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal on Aug 18 as part of the Trump administration’s campaign against what it calls a “corrupt and fatally politicised” body.
right description of US actions
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The measures bar Akane and Seye from entering the United States and from carrying out transactions in the US financial system.
right description of consequences of sanctions
Leaning score -0.35 for article 1687 (high confidence, 3 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-31
US-sanctioned ICC head Akane warns against ‘demise of international rule of law’
AI generated
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Akane → sanction → law
TOKYO - International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane of Japan warned on Aug 21 against “the demise of international rule of law” after the United States targeted her with sanctions.
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States → warn → sanctions
Washington sanctioned Akane and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal on Aug 18 as part of the Trump administration’s campaign against what it calls a “corrupt and fatally politicised” body.
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it → sanction → what
“The sanction against me this time was something I had anticipated to an extent, so I’m not surprised,” Akane said in a statement released on X by her publisher Bungei Shunju.
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Akane → anticipate → publisher
“The important thing is not to let this be the beginning of the demise of international rule of law.”
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this → let → law
The measures bar Akane and Seye from entering the United States and from carrying out transactions in the US financial system.
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measures → bar → system
Akane’s statement – her first public comments since the sanctions – comes after the ICC on Aug 19 called the US measures a “flagrant attack” on the court’s independence.
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ICC → come → independence
The United Nations rights chief Volker Turk and top EU officials threw their support behind Akane and her institution.
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chief → throw → Akane
Washington’s latest move follows sanctions it imposed on several ICC officials, seen as largely in response to the court’s investigations involving Israel, a US ally.
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it → follow → Israel
Japan has also objected to the sanctions on Akane, with the foreign ministry saying it “consistently supported the ICC... in its efforts to prosecute and punish the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and to uphold the rule of law”.
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it → object → law
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities and acts as a last resort when countries do not have adequate legal systems to ensure accountability.
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countries → establish → accountability
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier said in a statement, without providing examples, that the sanctioned “individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction”.
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government → say → jurisdiction
The United States signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC but never ratified the treaty.
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States → sign → treaty
In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, prompting Moscow to issue its own arrest warrants for senior court officials.
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ICC → issue → officials
These included Akane, 70, an ICC judge since 2018 who was elected as the court’s president in March 2024.
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who → include → March
“Even if one judge were to die, we are easily replaceable, so there is really no value in targeting us,” she said after the Russian announcement.
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she → die → announcement
