Call for the Immediate Withdrawal of US Sanctions Against ICC President Akane

The United States has imposed sanctions on prosecutors and judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC), and on August 18, the Trump administration went so far as to add ICC President Akane Tomoko to its sanctions list. Such pressure undermines the ICC's ability to prosecute perpetrators of war crimes and genocide, fundamentally shaking the international rule of law. Peace Boat calls on the government of the United States to immediately lift the sanctions, and urges the Japanese government to take strong action towards this end, as well as to offer full support and protection to President Akane.

Established in 2002, the ICC is a vital international institution that holds accountable perpetrators of war crimes, genocide, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. However, the Trump administration has intensified pressure on the ICC after the Court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu over ongoing inhumane attacks in Gaza, Palestine, and investigated war crimes by US military personnel, going as far as to even advocate for the Court’s dissolution. Most recently, it designated two additional individuals as targets of sanctions:  Judge Tomoko Akane (Japan), the President of the Court, and Mr Abdoulaye Seye (Senegal), Senior Trial Lawyer at the Office of the Prosecutor.

Individuals subjected to these sanctions are banned from entering the United States, their assets within the US are frozen, economic transactions with them are prohibited, and access to services such as credit cards is cut off. The ICC is the very institution that has issued arrest warrants for figures such as Russian President Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. If the ICC is rendered unable to operate, those responsible for violating international law and committing atrocities will go unpunished, fundamentally undermining the international rule of law.

On August 19, the Japanese government issued a statement describing the US measures as "very unfortunate," but this is far from sufficient. From a standpoint of upholding international law, the Japanese government must take a firm stance and demand that the US government rescind these sanctions, while also taking further concrete actions to support and protect President Akane.

Japanese civil society organisations, the Japan International Rule of Law network (JJIRoL) and Human Rights Now, issued a joint statement titled: “We call for the Immediate Withdrawal of U.S. Sanctions Against ICC President Akane. The Government of Japan Must Reject These Sanctions and Take Concrete Action to Support and Protect President Akane.” Peace Boat immediately endorsed this statement, and now calls on others to read the statement and sign in support.

The full text and sign-on page can be accessed here: https://c.org/9M8Hyfd4RY