The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) condemns unequivocally and in the strongest terms the United States administration’s imposition on 18 August 2026 of sanctions on ICC President Judge Tomoko Akane and Abdoulaye Seye, Head of a Unified Team and Senior Trial Lawyer in the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP), and a candidate in the 2026 ICC Judicial Elections.

These latest designations mark a deeply concerning escalation in the sustained US campaign against the International Criminal Court and those working to advance international justice, ultimately to the detriment of victims. They follow sanctions against the former ICC Prosecutor, both Deputy Prosecutors and eight judges, as well as the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory and four Palestinian human rights organisations.  

See reactions to this development from around the globe: 

*N.B.: This list was last updated on 2 September 2026 at 13:30 CEST.

International Criminal Court   

• The ICC strongly rejects new US sanctions designations

• Presidency of the Assembly of States Parties expresses deep regret at the extension of US sanctions targeting the ICC President and a staff member

• The International Criminal Court Bar Association (ICCBA)

Civil Society 

• Al-Haq

• Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

• Amnesty International: Secretary General 

• Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)

• Human Rights Watch 

• The International Bar Association (IBA)

• No Peace Without Justice 

• The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)

States Parties 

• Belgium: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Development Cooperation

• Denmark: Minister for Foreign Affairs

• Estonia: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Finland: Ministry for Foreign Affairs

• France: Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs

• Ireland: Foreign Ministry

• Japan: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan 

• The Netherlands: Minister of Foreign Affairs 

• Palestine: Head of Palestinian Mission to the Kingdom of Netherlands - Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to International Organizations in The Hague 

• Senegal: Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs (in French)

• Spain: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union, and Cooperation (English version)

• Sweden: Minister for Foreign Affairs

• Switzerland: Director of the Directorate of International Law

European Union

• EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy / Vice-President of the European Commission

• EU Special Representative for Human Rights

• Chloé Ridel, Member of the European Parliament

United Nations   

• UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers 

• UN experts joint statement

• United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Associations

• Aichi Bar Association

• The Association of International Criminal Law Prosecutors (AICLP)

• The Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE)

• Osaka Bar Association

Consult further resources by the Coalition for the International Criminal Court 

• Defending Justice: A call to reject the United States' Campaign Against the ICC (17 July 2026) 

• The Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) report on US sanctions "Criminalising Accountability: The US lawfare against the international justice system"  (23 April 2026) 

• Coalition for the ICC launches groundbreaking report on US sanctions: "Criminalising Accountability: The US lawfare against the international justice system" (23 April 2026) 

• Safeguarding International Justice: States, UN Experts and Human Rights Defenders convene at the UN to call for concrete action to safeguard international justice (24 March 2026) 

• Sanctions aimed at silencing judges endanger victims’ access to justice: Civil society condemns new U.S. sanctions against ICC Judges (5 January 2026)  

• Reject ICC-related Sanctions: A Call to Protect Victims and Uphold Justice (1 December 2025) 

• Defending justice against intimidation: The Coalition for the ICC condemns shameful sanctions against Palestinian human rights organisations (5 September 2025) 

• When justice is targeted, victims’ rights are at risk: Civil society condemns U.S. sanctions against ICC Judges (7 July 2025) 

• Sanctions cannot silence justice: Civil society condemns new U.S. measures against ICC Judges and Deputy Prosecutors (22 August 2025) 

• Civil society condemns US sanctions against the International Criminal Court (12 February 2025)  

• Oppose Sanctions Against the International Criminal Court, Safeguard Victims’ Access to Justice (14 January 2025) 

• The time is now, the Coalition for the ICC urges ICC States Parties to defend the Court’s independence against threats and sanctions (6 December 2024) 

• In the face of threats, States must defend the independence of the ICC and safeguard victims’ access to justice (31 May 2024)