Thousands urge Japan to push US to lift sanctions on International Criminal Court head - Anadolu Ajansı

Thousands of petitioners have urged Japan to negotiate with the US to lift sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, is among the ICC judges sanctioned by the Trump administration in August, after Washington accused him of “directly” engaging in ICC efforts to “investigate, arrest, detain, or prosecute officials whose government has not consented to ICC jurisdiction.”

The US move came after the ICC issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.

However, a group of lawyers submitted nearly 175,000 signatures to the Japanese government, urging it to negotiate with the US to lift sanctions on Akane, Japan News reported on Friday.

“Japan has consistently supported the ICC,” Japanese deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki told the group on Thursday. “We will take your concerns seriously.”

“I think the reason we were able to gather so many signatures is that many people view this as their own issue,” said Kentaro Uematsu, a member of the group. “I hope the government will take steps, one by one, to do what it can.”

Among those representing the group, named JIRoL, are lawyers who studied under Akane when she taught at the Nagoya University Graduate School of Law and other institutions from 2005 to 2008.

Supported by other international human rights groups, the group called for immediately lifting sanctions.

Akane thanked the group in a message, saying: “Each individual may be small, but we are by no means powerless. Thank you for signing.”

The Trump administration has vowed to "dismantle" the ICC, which has a mandate granted by more than 120 member countries to investigate war crimes.