Akane warns U.S. sanctions threaten international rule of law

International Criminal Court President Tomoko Akane warned on Friday that recent U.S. sanctions against her risk becoming "the beginning of the demise of international rule of law." Akane made the statement in her first public comments since the United States targeted her with penalties on August 19, as part of the Trump administration's campaign against the global court.

The U.S. State Department announced on August 19 that it was sanctioning Akane, a Japanese legal scholar, and Senegalese senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye. The action bars both individuals from entering the United States and engaging in transactions within the U.S. financial system. The sanctions bring the total number of ICC judges under U.S. penalties to nine, along with prosecutors and staff members.

In a statement released by her Japanese publisher, Akane said she had anticipated the move. "The sanction against me this time was something I had anticipated to an extent, so I'm not surprised," she said. "The important thing is not to let this be the beginning of the demise of international rule of law." She stressed that support from Japan, the ICC's largest financial contributor, would be a "crucial key."