Tokyo opposes US sanctions on Japanese ICC chief Akane
Washington imposed sanctions on ICC president Tomoko Akane and senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye as part of its campaign against what it called a 'corrupt and fatally politicised' court.
Tokyo has voiced objection to the United States' sanctions imposed on International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane of Japan, calling Washington's latest actions "very unfortunate." The Trump administration recently sanctioned Akane and ICC Senior Trial Lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, part of a broader campaign against the court as "corrupt and fatally politicized."
Japan, the ICC's largest funder and a close U.S. ally, consistently supports the court in its efforts to prosecute the most serious crimes and uphold the rule of law, according to a foreign ministry press secretary. However, Japan expresses deep regret over the U.S. sanctions, which it views as detrimental to the international legal order.
The ICC, established in 2002, prosecutes individuals accused of the most severe atrocities and acts as a last resort when countries fail to ensure accountability. The U.S. sanctions bar sanctioned individuals from entering the country and from conducting financial transactions in the U.S. system. The U.S. accuses the ICC of threatening Americans and demands partners withdraw from the body, a move already adopted by Chad and Venezuela.
The U.S. has already sanctioned several ICC officials, aiming to shield American and Israeli officials implicated in serious crimes from justice.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Tokyo opposes US sanctions on Japanese ICC chief Akane freemalaysiatoday.com
