The Hague Initiative Condemns U.S. Sanctions Against International Criminal Court Officials.

The Hague Initiative for Law and Justice strongly condemns the decision by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to impose new sanctions targeting the President of the International Criminal Court, Judge Tomoko Akane, and the Court’s Deputy Prosecutor, Mr. Abdullah Siy, including the freezing of their financial assets, denying them access to the U.S. financial system, and barring them from entering U.S. territory.

The Initiative considers these measures to constitute a serious overreach of the limits of U.S. national jurisdiction, an attack on the independence of international justice, and an undermining of the principles of the international legal order, which is based on respect for international law and the obligations arising from international treaties and conventions, particularly those concerning the fight against impunity and accountability for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes.

The Initiative considers this escalation to be directly linked to efforts aimed at shielding Israeli officials from accountability before international justice, foremost among them Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other officials facing judicial proceedings before the Court in connection with crimes committed against the Palestinian people.

The Hague Initiative for Law and Justice emphasizes that the use of economic and political sanctions to pressure judges and officials of the International Criminal Court represents an extremely dangerous precedent for the independence of international justice. It threatens the Court’s ability to exercise its mandate independently and impartially and sends a dangerous message that international judicial institutions may be punished when they exercise their jurisdiction in cases involving States or officials with significant international political influence.

Accordingly, The Hague Initiative for Law and Justice calls for:

1. The United States of America to immediately revoke the sanctions imposed on judges and officials of the International Criminal Court and to refrain from any measures aimed at undermining the Court’s independence or obstructing the performance of its duties.

2. States Parties to the Rome Statute and the international community to oppose any measures that could undermine the independence of the International Criminal Court or exert pressure on its judges and officials.

3. Guaranteeing the freedom of the International Criminal Court to exercise its judicial mandate independently and impartially, free from political and economic pressure.

4. Providing protection and support to international judicial institutions so that they can investigate international crimes and prosecute their perpetrators without selectivity or discrimination.

5. Guaranteeing the right of the Palestinian people and Palestinian victims to access justice, and ensuring accountability for all those proven to have been involved in the commission of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, or in inciting, ordering, facilitating, contributing to, or providing political or legal cover for such crimes.

The Hague Initiative for Law and Justice

23 August 2026