International Criminal Court (ICC) President Tomoko Akane sharply criticized recent United States sanctions targeting the Hague-based tribunal and its officials during the court’s annual report to the United Nations.
Because of the sanctions, Akane—a Japanese national—was unable to travel to UN headquarters in New York and delivered her address via a prerecorded video.
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump added Akane to its sanctions list in August, followed by sanctions on the ICC as an institution in October.
“an attempt to obstruct the course of justice and to prevent the court from doing what it was created to do,” Akane stated, calling the measures an unprecedented step meant to intimidate staff, witnesses, and victims.
Out of the ICC’s 18 judges, nine are currently targeted by the U.S. measures, impacting not only the officials but also their families, court personnel, and individuals cooperating with investigations.
Akane also highlighted parallel pressures from other nations, pointing to criminal convictions issued by a Russian court against nine ICC officials in December 2025, including herself. She warned that both the U.S. sanctions and Russian rulings severely jeopardize the future of independent justice.
“When judges are punished for their decisions, whether through sanctions or through criminal convictions, it is not only those judges who are targeted, but judicial independence itself,” Akane said.
While noting that the ICC has taken steps to safeguard its operations, Akane emphasized that the court cannot defend its independence alone and urged UN member states to step up.
“The court has called and once again calls upon all U.N. member states to take concrete action, individually and collectively, in defense of the court,” she urged.
Despite the mounting external pressures, Akane reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to its mission.
“will continue to fully discharge its mandate with independence and impartiality, acting only on the basis of the law and the evidence,” she stressed, concluding with a warning to the international community: “History will judge how the international community protected the court. The time to act is now.”