ICC rejects US sanctions and urges countries to help sustain its work

The International Criminal Court rejected US sanctions against the institution in a statement issued on October 9, according to Japanese news reports. Its president, Tomoko Akane, said the court would continue fulfilling its mission with independence and impartiality. Mainichi and Asahi reported that the Trump administration had placed the court itself under sanctions. The ICC is based in The Hague in the Netherlands. Mainichi also reported that Akane is individually subject to sanctions. [ 4 , 5 , 7 ]

The court described the sanctions as an attack on the rule of law and the foundations of the international legal order, Mainichi reported. According to Tokyo Shimbun, its statement said the measures targeted an independent judicial institution established by treaty with 125 member countries and territories. Akane said the ICC would continue working solely on the basis of law and evidence for the victims of serious crimes. The court urged countries to protect both the institution and an international order based on the rule of law. [ 4 , 5 ]

Mainichi reported that the ICC said it could not confront the sanctions alone and that its future also rested in the hands of its member states. It requested concrete measures to ensure it continued to have the means necessary to operate. Asahi reported that Akane released a video message seeking support from countries. She described the sanctions as attacks on the sovereign states that created the court, on the international legal order and on victims who had waited years or decades for those responsible for serious atrocities to face justice. She warned that victims would ultimately be affected, while affirming that external threats would not make the court abandon its mission. [ 5 , 7 ]