Sanctioned international court president says she asked Japan to help de-escalate tensions with US
Akane said Japan’s support is pivotal, as the Trump administration has sanctioned 9 of the court’s 18 judges and threatens more penalties.
- On Wednesday, International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane urged Japan to use its diplomatic influence to counter the United States campaign against the tribunal, calling sanctions against court officials "a crisis for the rule of law."
- The Trump administration ratcheted up its campaign against the Hague-based court last week by sanctioning Akane and a senior trial lawyer, following ICC probes into United States troops in Afghanistan and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Washington has pressured member states to quit the institution, a call at least five countries have heeded, while Akane rejected United States allegations that the court infringed upon the sovereignty of nations not accepting its jurisdiction.
- Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi described the sanctions as "very unfortunate" but faces criticism from opposition lawmakers and human rights groups for not more forcibly defending the ICC during this crisis.
- Akane stated that Japan's support is a "litmus test" for its international standing, emphasizing that "this is where the real challenge begins" for the ICC's survival and future institutional credibility.
25 Articles
25 Articles
ICC president Tomoko Akane urges Japan to stop US sanctions escalation
ICC president Tomoko Akane urged Japan to press Washington against further sanctions on the court. Her appeal deepens Tokyo's balancing act between backing the rule of law and preserving ties with the US.
Sanctioned international court president says she asked Japan to help de-escalate tensions with US
The president of the International Criminal Court, Tomoko Akane, says there is no reason for her to face U.S. sanctions.
Not even the US government's frontal attack on the judge and president of the International Criminal Court, Akane Tomoko, has stimulated a national pride shot in Japan. Both the secretary of Cabinet, Kihara Minoru, and the first minister, Takaichi Sanae, days ago expressed themselves cautiously on the subject, with: "The government is considering the matter from its inside" and "these sanctions are a real sin."
International Criminal Court ‘must not be dismantled,’ says US-sanctioned top judge Akane
‘I have no reason to incur’ US sanctions, says 1st Japanese president of Hague-based court, adding: ‘I will resist any adverse consequences’
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