ICC chief urges Japan to counter US pressure on the court

Japan should try to counter the United States’ efforts to pressure members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to quit the body, its president said, adding that Tokyo’s support is pivotal to ensuring the court’s survival.

Speaking via video link to reporters in Tokyo, ICC President Tomoko Akane called on Japan, the ICC’s biggest financial backer, to help it in its hour of need.

“Japan has long made the rule of law a cornerstone of its diplomacy. Consequently, both I and the international community hold high expectations for Japan,” said Akane, a Japanese national.

“Furthermore, I would like Japan to focus on supporting neighbouring countries that are ICC members, ensuring that they do not succumb to the new US campaign and decide to withdraw from the ICC,” she added.

US President Donald Trump’s administration intensified its campaign against the Hague-based court last week by sanctioning Akane and a senior trial lawyer.

Washington has said it will also step up efforts to persuade other countries to quit the institution, a call that at least five countries have already heeded.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi initially described the latest move as “very unfortunate”, but has faced criticism from the opposition, human rights groups and some lawmakers from her own party for not defending the court more forcibly.

The ICC was established in 2002 by the international community to prosecute war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.

The United States is not a member. However, the court’s decision to seek an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close US ally, alongside a past probe into US troops in Afghanistan, has drawn the ire of Washington.

Akane said Japan, which joined the ICC in 2007, should leverage its close ties with the US to dissuade Washington from taking further escalatory measures.

“Countries, people and media are saying this is a litmus test for their expectations of Japan… Japan’s strong support for the ICC here will greatly contribute to its future survival,” she said.

“This is where the real challenge begins.”