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

Tokyo - International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane of Japan has cautioned against the downfall of global legal standards following sanctions imposed by the United States. On Tuesday, Washington sanctioned Akane and trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, as part of the Trump administration's crusade against the court, which they deem "corrupt and fatally politicized."

Akane admitted that the sanctions were anticipated but expressed concern that they signal the beginning of the end for international rule of law. The sanctions prevent Akane and Seye from entering the United States or conducting financial transactions within the US system. Akane's statement, released by her publisher Bungei Shunju, was her first public response since the sanctions were announced.

The ICC responded to the US measures as a "flagrant attack" on its independence, with UN rights chief Volker Turk and top European officials lending their backing to Akane and her institution. Japan, the ICC's largest contributor and a key US ally, has also voiced opposition to the sanctions, with the foreign ministry asserting the court's role in pursuing "the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and to uphold the rule of law."

The US rationale behind the sanctions focuses on the ICC's investigations into Israel, a close American ally. In 2023, the court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for his involvement in the war in Ukraine, leading Moscow to retaliate by issuing similar warrants for ICC officials, including Akane.

Despite the sanctions, Akane remains unalarmed, emphasizing that the ICC's independence is resilient and that the organization can easily replace any single judge.