Japan has criticised the United States’ decision to impose sanctions on International Criminal Court (ICC) President, Tomoko Akane, describing the move as “very unfortunate” and reaffirming Tokyo’s support for the court and international rule of law.

The administration of US President Donald Trump announced the sanctions on Tuesday against Akane, a Japanese national, and Abdoulaye Seye, an ICC senior trial lawyer from Senegal.

The measures restrict the sanctioned officials from entering the United States and conducting transactions through the US financial system.

Japanese Foreign Ministry press secretary Toshihiro Kitamura said Tokyo had consistently backed the ICC’s efforts to prosecute individuals accused of the most serious international crimes and uphold the rule of law.

He said the latest US action was therefore regrettable, particularly given Japan’s position as the ICC’s largest financial contributor.

The United States, however, is not a member of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the sanctioned officials of participating in attempts by the court to investigate or prosecute government officials from countries that have not accepted ICC jurisdiction.

The ICC rejected Washington’s position, warning that sanctions against judicial officials threaten the broader international legal system.

The latest measures are part of the Trump administration’s wider confrontation with the ICC, particularly over its investigations involving Israel. In 2024, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over alleged crimes linked to the war in Gaza.

Netanyahu welcomed the US sanctions, describing the ICC as a “kangaroo court” and accusing it of abusing its authority under the guise of international law.

The Netherlands, which hosts the ICC headquarters in The Hague, also criticised Washington’s decision. Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen said international courts and tribunals must be allowed to perform their duties independently.

The US has previously sanctioned other ICC officials over investigations involving Israel and the United States. Washington has also urged countries to distance themselves from the court, while the ICC has warned that withdrawals could weaken international efforts to hold perpetrators of grave crimes accountable.

The dispute comes amid broader tensions over the ICC’s authority. Although the United States signed the Rome Statute, it never ratified the treaty. Israel, Russia and China are also outside the court’s membership.

Human rights organisations have condemned the sanctions. Human Rights Watch said the measures represented an attempt to prevent accountability for alleged crimes involving American and Israeli officials. Four human rights groups also filed a lawsuit against Trump in New York challenging the sanctions and arguing that they could prevent victims of war crimes from seeking justice.

The ICC has faced similar retaliation from Russia. In 2023, after the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged crimes connected to the war in Ukraine, Moscow responded by issuing arrest warrants for several ICC officials, including Akane.

Akane, 70, became an ICC judge in 2018 and was elected president of the court in March 2024.