International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane has rejected US accusations that the court is a corrupt political organisation, vowing to defend its work after Washington imposed sanctions on her and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. The Trump administration has now sanctioned nine of the court's 18 judges, both deputy prosecutors, and other senior officials, accusing the ICC of overstepping its mandate by pursuing cases against officials from non-member states such as the United States and Israel. Akane, a Japanese national, called on Japan — a US ally and ICC member — to press Washington to halt further escalation, and urged all member states to resist pressure to withdraw from the court.