ICC headquarter. File photo, representational.
The Hague: International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane warned that US sanctions imposed on her and the court's Senegalese chief prosecutor could lead to "the demise of international rule of law.
In a post on X, Akane said she was not surprised by the sanctions but stressed that they should not be allowed to mark the beginning of the erosion of international law.
The US State Department announced the sanctions on Tuesday, accusing the ICC of exceeding its authority by seeking to investigate US soldiers, military commanders and political officials from countries that have not accepted the court's jurisdiction or the Rome Statute.
The measures bar the targeted officials from entering the United States and freeze any assets they hold in the US or linked to the US financial system.
The ICC strongly condemned the sanctions, describing them as a blatant attack on the independence of an impartial judicial institution operating under the mandate granted by its member states.
