The United States sanctioned International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane and court official Abdoulaye Seye on Tuesday, expanding the Trump administration's pressure campaign against the Hague-based tribunal and drawing criticism from Japan and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk. The Treasury Department added both to its Specially Designated Nationals list under Executive Order 14203, which President Donald Trump signed on Feb. 6, 2025, blocking any U.S. assets they hold and barring Americans and U.S. entities from transacting with them. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the two had "directly" engaged in ICC efforts to "investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction." Turk said on Wednesday that the "unacceptable new sanctions" on the ICC's president and a prosecution staff member "must be lifted," urged states to defend institutions created to uphold human rights and the rule of law, and called for protection of court officials targeted by "such reprisals." Japan separately said it was "extremely regrettable" that Washington had sanctioned Akane, a Japanese national who heads the ICC. The U.S. move followed the court's issuance of arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Washington and Israel are not parties to the ICC, and the United States says the court lacks authority over officials from non-member states.