Japan denounces US sanctions on International Criminal Court president Akane

Tokyo expressed dismay on Wednesday at U.S. sanctions imposed against International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane from Japan, branding Washington's latest move against the institution "very unfortunate." The Trump administration had sanctioned Akane and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal on Tuesday, part of an effort to target what it deems a "corrupt and fatally politicized" body.

Japan has consistently backed the ICC in its pursuit of prosecuting and punishing the most egregious crimes of concern to the international community, highlighting the fairness and rule of law. Japan is the largest contributor to the ICC but remains a close U.S. ally, despite the U.S. not being a signatory to the treaty that established the court.

The U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier stated the sanctioned individuals "have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction." The ICC in response said the U.S. sanctions "undermine the rule of law," emphasizing that threats to judicial actors risk undermining the international legal order.

Established in 2002, the ICC investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of the most serious atrocities, serving as a last resort when countries lack adequate legal systems. The U.S. has already sanctioned several ICC officials, barring them from entering the country and from conducting transactions in the U.S. financial system, primarily due to ICC investigations targeting Israel, a U.S. ally.

In response to the sanctions, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded the move, calling the ICC a "kangaroo court," while the Netherlands expressed disapproval, stating that international courts and tribunals must be able to freely carry out their mandates. The United States initiated a diplomatic offensive against the ICC, accusing it of "threatening" Americans and calling on partners to withdraw, moves already taken by Chad and Venezuela, which supports the U.S. since the ousting of President Nicolas Maduro.

The ICC has expressed concern over these withdrawals, warning that such actions risk undermining the collective pursuit of justice. The United States signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC but never ratified it, while Israel, Russia, and China are not ICC members. Four human rights groups recently sued U.S. President Donald Trump in a New York court over the sanctions targeting the ICC, arguing that they block victims of war crimes from seeking justice, calling the measures a "naked attempt to shield American and Israeli officials implicated in serious crimes from justice."