President Donald Trump’s administration imposed sanctions against the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, over what it described as the tribunal’s “corrupt and fatally politicised” activities.

Also sanctioned was the ICC’s senior trial lawyer, Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, following Mr Trump’s order, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Tuesday.

Washington said the officials “have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.”

Mr Rubio reiterated the Trump administration’s stance on the Hague-based tribunal, stating it “has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate.”

“We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty,” he said, noting that the designation aimed to address the threats posed by the ICC.

The ICC comprises 125 member states, including 33 African nations, and prosecutes the most serious crimes such as genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

However, Mr Rubio maintained that the international tribunal has “repeatedly” attempted to exercise authority over U.S. nationals and other countries that have not ratified the Rome Statute. This international treaty authorises the ICC to prosecute crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and crimes of aggression.

“This sets a dangerous precedent for all nations,” Mr Rubio added.

Mr Rubio vowed last month that the U.S. would launch “a whole-of-government response to systematically disable” the ICC’s ability to operate.

He maintained that the U.S. campaign to dismantle “threats posed by the ICC” will be “sweeping,” as Washington expects more countries to join the operation.

“The Trump Administration stands ready to take additional measures, if necessary, to systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty,” Mr Rubio maintained.

The latest designation raises the number of ICC officials sanctioned by the Trump administration to 13, including judges and the chief prosecutor. The officials were sanctioned with travel bans, asset freezes, and restrictions on services from U.S. companies.

Washington issued the sanctions in retaliation for a probe into U.S. personnel in Afghanistan. Its pressure on the tribunal grew after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

Mr Trump’s criticism of the international court began in his first term in office, when he told the UN General Assembly that, for the U.S., the ICC had “no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority”.

Last month, Chad announced plans to withdraw from the ICC. It said the decision followed Washington’s call for member states to withdraw.