ICC president hits back at Trump administration penalties in remote UN address

The president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, rebuked the Trump administration's penalties in a remote United Nations address on Monday. Akane, a judge from Japan, stated that the United States' actions aim to hinder international justice and vowed that such efforts would not prevail. She urged all 193 UN member nations, not just the 125 that form the ICC, to take concrete action in defense of the court.

The US administration imposed sanctions on ICC officials and targeted the entire court last month as part of its campaign to dissolve the tribunal over investigations into the US and its allies, including Israel. Akane emphasized the timing of the US sanctions, which coincided with the Nobel Peace Prize award to South African jurist Navi Pillay for her work in promoting peace and international law.

She highlighted the stark contrast between global recognition of international justice and the US attempt to subdue the institution it embodies. The ICC, established in 2002, aims to prosecute war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide when countries fail to do so. The US is not a party to the court, and the State Department responded to Akane's remarks, stating they will ban transactions with the ICC, limiting its resources and making it harder to operate against the US.

In response to the latest sanctions, Akane reaffirmed the court's commitment to independence and impartiality, stating that it will continue to act solely on the basis of law and evidence for the sake of victims of grave crimes. The European Union and other supporters rallied at the UN General Assembly to strongly back the ICC and its efforts to seek justice for humanity's worst crimes.