The International Criminal Court on Wednesday lashed out at the United States after Washington slapped sanctions on its president, calling it a "flagrant attack" on the court's independence.
On Tuesday, the US imposed sanctions on ICC President Tomoko Akane and a senior trial lawyer, as part of Washington's campaign against what it calls a "corrupt and fatally politicised" body.
"These sanctions are a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution," the court, based in The Hague, said in a statement.
"Such measures targeting judges, prosecutors and staff... undermine the rule of law," added the court.
Washington's sanctions are largely seen as a response to ICC investigations targeting Israel, a US ally. In 2024, the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza.
The measures bar the officials targeted from entering the US and from carrying out transactions in the US financial system.
