The president of the International Criminal Court (ICC)the Japanese Tomoko Akanedenounced this Monday that the court is treated as “a terrorist organization” by “independent and impartial” decisions of his judges, and urged “urgently substantially strengthen” security measures of its officials given “the threats and pressures.
In a speech at the annual meeting of ICC member countries, Akane condemned the “efforts to politicize” the court and lamented the “threats with draconian economic sanctions” that arrive from USA and that they treat the Court “as if it were a terrorist organization”, after issuing the arrest warrants against him Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuand his Defense Minister Yoav Gallantfor war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.b”We will never give in to coercive measures, threats, sabotage or outrages. The Court, which upholds the principle of the rule of law, will continue to pursue justice and defend the dignity and rights of victims of atrocities without fear or favor,” he warned.
Furthermore, he considered it “shocking that certain States and individuals are scandalized when independent judges issue decisions in line with the evidence and the law,” when “what matters is not the finger that points, but the moon,” he warned. Akane. “We would rather hope that (…) they would be shocked that criminal conduct, established according to the required legal standard, had been committed,” he warned.
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“Great political attention”
Akane noted that “particularly in the last two years, the activities of the Court have understandably attracted a great political attention”. The ICC also issued two arrest warrants last year, which also caused controversy, for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children and its transfer from occupied zones to Russia, a war crime.
The arrest warrants were against the Russian President Vladimir Putinand against María Lvova-Belova, presidential commissioner for Children’s Rights in Russia. Moscow He threatened the ICC with reprisals, which he defined as “a miserable organization”, and declared the ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, as well as the judges linked to the arrest warrants against Russia: Tomoko Akane, Rosario, wanted and captured. Salvatore Aitala and Sergio Gerardo Ugalde Godínez.
After requesting last month the Netanyahu arrest y Gallantthe CPI has once again found itself at the center of controversy, with attacks from Israel and the United States, among others. “We firmly reject any attempt to influence the independence and impartiality of the Court. We condemn efforts to politicize our function. We have and will always comply only with the law, under all circumstances,” Akane added.
Concerned officials
He added that this “unprecedented situation has caused a transformative change in their security posture” and regretted that the officials are “gravely concerned” “that any cuts in resources requested for security purposes will have dangerous repercussions on the ability to ensure safe and consistent operations.”
“We consider that the current security measures for certain officials and the Court are insufficient. We respectfully call for preventive security measures to be substantially strengthened urgently,” the judge urged, urging the other 123 Member States to “share” with the host, the Netherlands, the “responsibility to protect” the Court.
