US sanctions on ICC President ‘incompatible’ with our position: Japanese PM

Tokyo: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Tuesday that the sanctions imposed by the US on International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane are “incompatible” with Japan’s position.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Takaichi said that Japan takes the US sanctions “very seriously” and has been consistently backing the ICC. Her statement comes as the US imposed sanctions on Akane, the first Japanese national to head the ICC, Kyodo News reported.

On August 19, Takaichi termed US action “very unfortunate” and said that Japan made efforts until the last minute “to persuade the US” not to impose sanctions on Akane. She stated that Japan, as the largest contributor to the ICC, has the responsibility to defend the institution and will keep tracking the situation while making necessary efforts at the appropriate time.

Last week, the US imposed sanctions on Tomoko Akane and a senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, widening the Trump administration’s campaign against the ICC and threatening further measures to curb its operations.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Akane and Seye had been designated under an executive order authorising sanctions against the court.

Rubio accused the two officials of direct involvement in ICC action against officials from countries that do not recognise the court’s jurisdiction.

“These individuals have directly engaged in efforts by the ICC to investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction,” he said in a statement.

The announcement marked a sharp escalation in Washington’s confrontation with the ICC. The administration has described the tribunal as a threat to US sovereignty and urged other countries to withdraw their financial and political support.

“The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate,” Rubio said. “We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.”

Rubio said the designations were part of a diplomatic campaign launched by the administration last month to challenge what Washington considers the ICC’s abuse of power.

“The ICC has repeatedly attempted to assert authority over nationals of the United States and other countries that have not consented to its jurisdiction or ratified the Rome Statute,” Rubio said. “This sets a dangerous precedent for all nations.”

Rubio made clear that US government’s action would not be the administration’s final move. He said the United States was pursuing a government-wide effort aimed at weakening the court’s ability to act against Americans and citizens of other countries that are not parties to its founding treaty.

“The Trump Administration stands ready to take additional measures, if necessary, to systematically dismantle the ICC until it is incapable of threatening American sovereignty,” Rubio said.

The ICC, based in The Hague, was established under the Rome Statute, which entered into force in 2002. It prosecutes individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression when national authorities are unable or unwilling to act within the limits of its jurisdiction.

IANS