The European Union has reaffirmed unconditional support for the International Criminal Court after the United States imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane and prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas expressed deep regret over the measures, calling them damaging to the court's work.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa issued a joint statement standing firmly behind the tribunal. Commission Vice President Teresa Ribera described the sanctions as deeply unjust, while Germany and the Netherlands also voiced opposition. Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi called the move regrettable.
The ICC now has nine of its eighteen judges sanctioned, along with all current prosecutors. UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Türk said the attacks on judges are deeply corrosive to accountable governance. Hungary has withdrawn from the ICC after hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu despite an arrest warrant.