EU leaders affirm support for ICC after U.S. sanctions on its president

European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday issued coordinated statements of firm support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its president, Tomoko Akane, following the United States’ decision to impose sanctions on her and another senior court official.

In a post on X, Costa wrote: “President von der Leyen and I stand firmly with the International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and the officials who uphold its mission. The ICC helps deliver justice to the victims of some of the world’s most horrific crimes. To carry out this essential work, its judges and officials must be able to act independently and without external pressure.” Von der Leyen posted a nearly identical message, emphasizing the same points.

The statements came a day after the U.S. Treasury Department and State Department announced sanctions on Akane, a Japanese judge who has served as ICC president since 2024, and Abdoulaye Seye, a Senegalese senior trial lawyer. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the measures were taken under a 2025 executive order because the individuals had “directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.” Rubio described the court as a “corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court” that had “maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate,” adding that the United States would not tolerate its “assault on state sovereignty.” The sanctions freeze any U.S. assets held by the individuals and restrict their access to the US financial system.

Japan, Akane’s home country and a close U.S. ally, described the sanctions as “very unfortunate.” Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Toshihiro Kitamura said Japan has “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,” and that Tokyo would remain committed to strengthening the international rule of law while maintaining dialogue with relevant countries.

The Netherlands, which hosts the ICC in The Hague, also criticized the move. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said on X that the country “disapproves of the latest sanctions against officials and staff of the International Criminal Court” and stressed that “international courts and tribunals must be able to freely carry out their mandates.” He noted that the Netherlands fully backed the court and had invited Akane for talks on continued support.

The ICC itself condemned the sanctions as undermining the rule of law. The Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties expressed “deep regret” at the extension of U.S. measures, calling them “regrettable attempts to impede the Court and its personnel in the exercise of their mandated functions” and warning that they risked undermining investigations and the fight against impunity.

The latest designations form part of a broader Trump administration campaign against the ICC, which has previously targeted other judges, prosecutors, and officials. The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the court and has objected to ICC investigations involving U.S. personnel in Afghanistan and arrest warrants related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, including those for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The court maintains that it acts independently under its statute to address the most serious international crimes.

Caption: European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen attend a press conference at the European Council summit in Brussels, Belgium, 19 June 2026.. EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET