ICC President Tomoko Akane will not stop working despite US sanctions — Anadolu Agency
International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane said during an online address at an event in Tokyo, Japan, that she would continue carrying out her work despite US sanctions against her and the court in The Hague. This was reported by Anadolu Agency.
Sanctions against court officials
Last month, the United States imposed sanctions on Akane and another ICC official, Abdoulaye Seye. Both were added to the US Treasury Department's Specially Designated Nationals list.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Akane and Seye were directly involved in ICC actions aimed at investigating, arresting, detaining or prosecuting officials of states whose governments had not consented to the court's jurisdiction.
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Pressure after arrest warrants
Washington stepped up pressure on the ICC after the court issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants concerned alleged war crimes in Gaza.
Akane, who has headed the ICC since 2024, is a Japanese citizen. Japanese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura called the US sanctions against her deeply regrettable and said Japan's support for the ICC in prosecuting the most serious crimes of concern to the international community remained unchanged.
