US-sanctioned ICC head warns against ‘demise of international rule of law’

International Criminal Court (ICC) president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese citizen, has warned against the potential "demise of international rule of law" following US sanctions targeting her and another ICC official. The sanctions, imposed by the Trump administration, aim to combat what the US perceives as a "corrupt and fatally politicized" body.

Akane and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal are barred from entering the US and conducting financial transactions within the US system. The UN rights chief, Volker Turk, and senior EU officials have rallied behind Akane and the ICC, emphasizing the importance of upholding the rule of law. Japan, being the largest contributor to the ICC and a close ally of the US, maintains its support for the court.

Despite the sanctions, Japan consistently champions the ICC's mission to prosecute the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. Established in 2002, the ICC aims to prosecute individuals accused of the gravest atrocities, serving as a last resort when national legal systems fail to ensure accountability. The US signed the Rome Statute establishing the ICC but has not ratified it.

Israel, Russia, and China remain outside the ICC membership. In 2023, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the war in Ukraine, leading to Moscow targeting several ICC officials, including Akane.