European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa threw their weight behind the International Criminal Court Wednesday, after Washington sanctioned its president and another senior court official.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sanctioned the ICC’s president, Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye on Tuesday, accusing the court of targeting officials from countries that reject its jurisdiction, given its pursuit of Israeli officials for alleged crimes in Gaza. While Israel and the U.S. don’t belong to the ICC, the court says it has jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed in Palestinian territories.

In a joint statement posted on X, von der Leyen and Costa said they “stand firmly with the [ICC], President Tomoko Akane and the officials who uphold its mission.” The court helps deliver justice to victims of some of the world’s worst crimes, they noted, and its judges and officials must be able to work “independently and without external pressure.”