ICC President calls on Japan to shield court from US pressure
Tomoko Akane urges Tokyo, the court’s largest financial backer, to leverage its ties with Washington to prevent further member withdrawals.
The President of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Tomoko Akane, has called on Japan to counter United States efforts to pressure member states into withdrawing from the Hague-based body. Speaking via video link to reporters in Tokyo, Akane described Tokyo’s support as pivotal to the court’s survival, noting that Japan is the ICC’s largest financial backer.
Akane, a Japanese national, urged her home country to leverage its close diplomatic ties with Washington to dissuade the US administration from taking further escalatory measures. She highlighted that Japan has long made the rule of law a cornerstone of its diplomacy, a stance that has generated high expectations from both the international community and the court itself.
The appeal comes after the US intensified its campaign against the ICC last week by sanctioning Akane and a senior trial lawyer. Washington has also stepped up efforts to persuade other nations to quit the institution, a move that has already led at least five countries to withdraw. Akane specifically called on Japan to focus on supporting neighbouring ICC members to ensure they do not succumb to the new US campaign.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi initially described the US sanctions as “very unfortunate,” a response that has drawn criticism from the opposition, human rights groups, and some lawmakers from her own party. Critics argue that the government has not defended the court forcibly enough in the face of growing diplomatic pressure.
The ICC, established in 2002 to prosecute war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, faces particular friction with the United States, which is not a member. Tensions were heightened by the court’s decision to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a past probe into US troops in Afghanistan.
Akane framed the current situation as a “litmus test” for international expectations of Japan. She stated that Japan’s strong support for the ICC would greatly contribute to its future survival, adding that this is where the real challenge begins.
