Tokyo on Wednesday described the US sanctions imposed on Tomoko Akane, the Japanese president of the International Criminal Court (ICC), as “very unfortunate,” Japan’s Foreign Ministry said.
“Japan has consistently supported the ICC, which is a permanent international criminal court, in its efforts to prosecute and punish the most serious crimes of concern to the international community and to uphold the rule of law. From this standpoint, the announced measures are very unfortunate,” ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura said in a statement.
He added that Japan “will remain committed to strengthening the international rule of law while maintaining dialogue and communication with relevant countries.”
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also called the US move “very unfortunate” and said her government will deal with the situation by “continuing communication with relevant nations including the United States,” according to Kyodo News.
Japan’s reaction came a day after the US imposed sanctions on Akane and Abdoulaye Seye, a senior member of the prosecution team that sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Akane, a Japanese national who has served as ICC president since 2024, and Seye, a Senegalese national, were added to the US Treasury Department’s Specially Designated Nationals List, according to the department’s website.
The listing blocks any US assets held by Akane and Seye, and bars Americans and entities from engaging in transactions with them.
The move comes as Washington has intensified pressure on the court since the ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
*Islamuddin Sajid contributed to this story from Islamabad
